The Dillamond Charter
by Scarlet Quill
Summary: It's been five years since the death of the feared Wicked Witch of the West. Tinman and Lion have been elevated to the highest positions of herodom, but, Boq Tinman as you know is unsatisfied and even disgusted with his predicament until Nimmie shows up
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: For all those who shall read this Fan fic, I did not create any (except for a few minor characters) of these people in this story, nearly all of them have some tie to the Frank L. Baum original story and/or Wicked in both book and Broadway Musical form. I take NO credit for their creation, nor do I take any credit for the world or the places put together by the original creators of these two stories. Like you, I'm here to enjoy the story and add my small ideas to make the wonderful world of Oz slightly more colored. So sit back,

Tik-Tock 1

In the years that followed, five to be exact, since the melting of the unspoken "You-know-who" and the quiet discreet disappearance of the Wizard from Oz, things somehow remained much like they were before. There were few minor changes brought about by the revered Glinda the Good, but being Good had it's limitations and with the avid froth still seething from the Wicked Witch Sisters Demise Day, (fully instated without the consent of Glinda) the swelling emotions reached a new tizzy every year. Glinda had tried, really she had but, finding the right opening to even remotely suggest that the Wicked Witch, wasn't really all that wicked had refused to appear.

Even now, on the fifth annual reenactment of the "Great Melting," Ozians from all over were coagulating in the streets in front of the now historic property Emerald Palace (the head curator who kept in working order was Glinda, naturally.) From high above in one of the many balconies, Glinda leaned on her elbow, surveying the masses cheer in the bloodlust of spectacles to come. The really was nothing Good about the day… and Glinda had to find some way of neutralizing it and at the same time pacify all of Oz's demands for a well needed holiday.

_Most of this is my fault anyway. Oh… being Good officially is confustible! Not to mentions stressful! This horridable holiday gives my the hee-bee-gee-bees. And_, she added with a quick peek in the little mirror in her hand, _wrinkles! Oh dear. Everyone gets so into this thing. Even Lion and Tinman come annually to tell the story over and over and over again…they only seem to make things worse…_

Idly she waved her wand back and forth changing the colored garland draped from the balcony into different colors as she thought. A thought struck her, turning the garland a bright yellow.

_Maybe that's where I'll start. I'll just ask dear Mr. Lion and Tinman to... go easy on the story telling from here on, such gory details! 'Her screams gurgled as she sunk into the floor,' after all there are children present. _ With a flip-flip of her head Glinda swished into her quarters and rang for one of the guards.

"Yes, Glinda the most Good?" He asked tapping his spear firmly on the ground.

"When our Beloved Heroes get here, please send them to me. I have a favor to ask them, to make this festival even more special. Thank you." With a coy smile she glided forward making sure that her point was taken and understood.

"No, Thank You, most Good of all Goodness!" He said before turning on his heel and marching from the room. Glinda rolled her eyes. That was too much, even for her. She needed a vacation, a real one. When someone as perfect as her is sick of her perfectness, it's time to go on a trip.

"Another year another festival, I sure wonder where Scarecrow ran off to after getting his brains and all." Lion said walking along the road towards Emerald City.

"Probably to do all the things he wanted to I guess. He's the smart one." Tinman said lamentably remembering the effect that all the screaming had done to his built in echo chamber down below.

"You mean you don't like the honor and glory of hero worship? The people of Oz love us more than the wizard now. I kind of like all the attention." Lion said with a shrug.

"I was always a bit of a party pooper, Lion. That's why…"

_She never loved me,_ was what he thought.

"I don't care much for big celebrations." Was what he said. Lion rambled on about Glory and how being King of the Beasts is such a great job, except for the Health Insurance Coverage. Tinman half listened, his mind was reliving it all. He did every year.

_The chill that ran through my veins, that shrinking feeling in my chest. Then, everything was cold…I'm not Boq anymore, I'm the Tinman. Glinda doesn't even know. I can't bear the shame of telling her. She thinks I just left after Nessa died. Just disappeared. She never came to the witch-hunt, nor did Elphaba tell her about her mistake… too proud I guess. _

Suddenly as if jarred by out of a dream the Lion tackled him on the side of the road and the squeal of wagons brakes screeched as the Tinman went tumbling.

"What the-" Tinman said trying to get up, with little success.

"I'm so sorry!" Gentle but playful voice said nearby, "I just thought that I would never catch up to you two!"

"Yes, I'm the Tinman, and yes, he is the Lion. Yes, we really did assist in the demise of the Wicked Witch of the West, and yes, we will sign your broomstick." Tinman said boredly struggling harder to get up.

"Oh no, it's not that." The voice was at his ear now, if his neck wasn't so rusty he could take a peek! He felt some supporting arms lift him gently to his feet. He turned quickly and came face to face, nose to nose with the most interesting looking person.

Her eyes, almond shape, had each decided upon what color they would be, one choose a yummy raspberry color, the other a teal green. Her clothes were colored similarly and tiny bells hung from the ends of her frock, and a scruffy looking neckerchief tied securely around her neck. She looked like a patchwork of patterns and shapes, her shoddy shabby dress was well worn, but looked a lot more comfortable than his body of tin. It was her skin that intrigued him, it was tannish but with a slight hint of that raspberry shade again.

She smiled, and was indeed quite beautiful, though Tinman still only had eyes for one Good Witch and only experienced the strangest feeling of déjà vu.

"Well hi again!" She said her cheeks blushing a riper raspberry.

"I'm sorry, but I don't think we've met. Unless I signed your broomstick from last year's festival and have forgotten. I do apologize." The Tinman said numbly going through his quick apology for fans he had forgotten. Her face fell, as he expected it should, but not with disappointment, in fact, her face looked so sad that it made him feel very uncomfortable.

"My mistake, I thought that you would… never mind. Do you want a ride?" The raspberry growing riper with every extra second she stood there her smile draining away like sand through a sieve.

"Much obliged, I think that tumble did a number on my joints. They don't make me like they used to." The Tinman said trying to cheer her up. Suddenly, it was like someone had flipped a switch, she grinned and spun around on her toes, bells tinkling after her.

"Come on then! We don't want to be late to the festival! Do we?" And with that she loaded the lion into the back of her wooden wagon with its red-shingled roof and hoisted the Tinman into the driver's seat beside the reins.

"Nick Nick." She clucked through her teeth giving the reins a gentle flick. The wagon lurched off to a slow but comfortable pace. Out of the corner of his eye (his neck really was dented) he saw her take a long glance, almost like someone looking over an old cover on a book. She said nothing for a long time. Her gentle sighs floated past every now and again, but for someone as jovial as she looked, she seemed strangely, almost uncharacteristically somber.

The Tinman had always preferred silence to conversation, but there were things wandering around just inside him waiting to be let out. For the first time he felt like making useless banter. After another ten minutes of silence, it became unbearable.

"I'm called Nimmie Amee." She said abruptly peering over her shoulder looking for something the Tinman couldn't decipher.

"I'm Tinman…Pleased to make your acquaintance, Miss Amee." He replied rather stiffly.

She chuckled lightly. "I always liked it when you said that. But really, I'm just Nimmie to my friends."

Tinman was more than lightly puzzled at her reply but seeing as how he couldn't think up a way to reply he changed the subject.

"You are here for the festival, you said?"

"Yeah, I'm a Quadling Gypsy. The caravan arrived in the Emerald City two days ago. I'm late. I had other things that were a little more important to attend to. So I'll probably have quite a bit of work ahead of me once I reach the city. My father will be sure to have lined up a good many things for me to do."

"What do you do exactly? If you don't mind me asking." Tinman said trying to be polite.

"I sing, I dance, I tell stories…I tell jokes. I'm an entertainer," her head lowered slightly, "little more than a clown." An awkward pause ensued.

"It's an honest living. I can bear to look at myself every morning and that's what counts." Nimmie continued quickly, tossing her long strawberry blonde braid.

"Sounds nice enough." Tinman said with a casual nod.

_I wish I could do that._

"It is." Nimmie replied and turned as a furry head poked itself out of the window behind the driver's bench.

"And this, is my accomplice, I call her Jester." Nimmie said scooping up a small motley bundle of fur, colored orange, black, white, tan and gray. The kitten looked back at Tinman with it's golden, saucer round eyes and mewed an introductory greeting.

"You always did like cats. You said they were clean and quiet." Nimmie said abruptly.

"I did?"

Nimmie nodded, "You told me so."

"I did."

"Certainly."

"When?"

"Not recently."

The Tinman found this quirky wagon driver strangely charismatic and said with a chuckle, "How do you know that my opinion on the feline species hasn't changed since then."

Without batting an eyelash for pity Nimmie replied, "Because you're the Tinman, you never change." As you can imagine, stuff got pretty quiet for the rest of the trip, with only Jester's soothing purr disturbing the silence.


	2. Chapter 2

Tik Tock 2

The storytelling podium, in the center of the City, was the one island in the middle of a heaving mass of bodies. People lined the streets. Footsore and hungry, they lined the streets waiting for the festivities to officially begin.

It was dark and cramped inside the wagon. Nimmie had suggested that perhaps it would be safer for him and for her perishable wagon, if he hid in the back with Lion, while she and Jester fought through the masses.

Finally they had reached the Emerald Palace. Nimmie quickly dropped down off of the wagon and opened the back door.

"When the music starts, go into the palace. I'll be along in a few minutes." She instructed hurriedly picking up a few gadgets and unusual gizmos, along with a brightly painted tambourine.

"Obviously, you haven't done this much, have you? Do you know what they will do once they see me? They'll mob us both." The Tinman replied trying not to sound haughty.

"Believe me… they won't notice you. I guarantee that." Nimmie said with a sly smile. Tinman grabbed her hand and pounded it against his metal chest. The echo reverberated dully in the closed space.

"If you hadn't already noticed, I'm the only one here made of tin." He hissed in the darkness.

Her soft eyes fixed on him and with a sympathetic almost pitying look she said, "Trust me." It was not a command but a plead.

He nodded in assent despite the protestation of Lion. With a content smile of approval, Nimmie had disappeared from the back of the wagon, leaving the door wide open.

"Welcome one and all, my happy, faithful Ozians! Welcome to a brand new festival this year!" Nimmie said with a dramatic curtsy. A shout of glee spread through the crowd.

"I'm sure you're all looking forward to the festivities. Aye?"

"AYE!"

"Then, let us start off with a friendly dance and a happy song." Nimmie began shaking her tambourine back and forth

_Let us be glad! Let us be grateful!_

_Let us rejocify, that goodness could subdue, _

_The wicked workings of you-know-who._

_Isn't it nice to know, that good will conquer evil…_

Tinman, in compliance with Nimmie's request moved towards the end of the wagon and stepped out as quickly as possible.

There were people all around but no one even looked at him. They're eyes were fastened on the Quadling girl, dancing and singing to the beat of her own tambourine. Lion padded softly after the Tinman and together they climbed the steps, never once being noticed, into the palace.

A red-mustached guard marched solemnly up to the pair and tapped his stick hard on the ground.

"Oh great heroes. Her Goodlyness, Glinda of the North, requests that before you go to your usual rooms, that she have a short audience with you."

Tinman would have blushed if he could, his eyes widened, he stood stock still, as if not believing a sudden change of fortune.

"Glinda, wants to see me?" he breathed.

"Us." The Lion corrected brusquely over Tinman's shoulder. The guard nodded sharply and led the way.

_For the first time, Glinda actually wants to see me! Me of all people!_

A giddy light-headedness settled over him as he walked nearer and nearer to the one memory that he given him comfort… after he had… well, been changed permanently. He took a sharp breath before slowly entering her room.

There Glinda sat. The years had treated her well, she wasn't tin, but there were barely any traces of worry lines or creases made by sad thoughts. Her plump full lips were still moist and round sitting in a coy pout as her blue eyes glittered with a slightly dimmer, wiser light. It was there that she had aged the most. Not as innocent, or as perky, Glinda's eyes bore the brunt of all her mistakes. They were the barometers of time.

She rose and put on a diplomatic smile, the kind you can feel isn't genuine, and quickly glided towards her guests.

"Welcome, our last two remaining heroes, I'm sure you'll remember me, I'm Glinda the Good. Witch of the North."

"Of course I remember you, Miss Galinda." Tinman said staring at her, gaping.

"Galinda? I'm sorry, I forgot to tell you, the 'GA' is silent, its merely Glinda, now," She looked wistfully towards the window, "I haven't been called Galinda in a very long time. Funny you should mention it."

The Tinman grew desperate; there she was, only a few feet away. Why was it that whenever he saw her he got so terribly tongue-tied? In fact he became so flustered he threw all sorts of tact right out of the window.

"Don't you know who I am?" He asked stepping forward quickly as he could. Glinda looked at him puzzled and then a cheery grin came over her face.

"Course! You're Tanman! I'd know you anywhere! You come here every year! I make a speech and you tell that story, over and over." She grabbed his arm and took the Lion's paw quickly drawing them in close.

"In fact," she whispered, "That's why I've asked to see you."

"The story?" Lion asked, completely destroying any attempt Tinman had been making to tell her about what had happened to himself.

"Yes, you see, I did a census of the people who came to festival last year and found that a very large percentage were children under twelve. And as I listened to your wonderfully… creative, rendition of your tale, it struck me that a lot of your imagery was… well…"

"Inappropriate time." Tinman mumbled talking to himself bitterly. All Glinda heard was, "Inappropriate."

"Exactly, Tuneman!" She said with a big grin, "You've come to the same conclusion, then."

"Naturally." He said quietly.

"Then you agree that the story needs a little censorship. No?" She levered.

"Of course…" He said, his eyes searching hers for some spark of recognition. For a minute he caught a glimmer of something behind her faux persona. She almost thought for a minute that, she might have known him. Then it was gone.

"Then it's settled," Glinda said with a flick of her wand, not bothering to ask Lion his opinion. There was silence.

"Tenman? You look a little green around the gills. Are you alright?" Glinda asked seeing that her hero looked absolutely miserable.

"I'll feel better when I'm cleaned and polished." He fought to speak and even the words "cleaned" and "polished" sickened him of his metallic state.

"Perhaps you should go and have that done." Glinda suggested feeling even less comfortable by every passing tik tock.

"I would do anything for you…Miss…Glinda." As quickly as he could muster he rushed from the room followed by a thoroughly confused Lion.

Glinda stood there her mouth hadn't dropped yet, but the sense of déjà vu was too strong to be a coincidence.

_It couldn't be…could it? He told us… five years ago, that he was Nick, a woodcutter, turned to tin by an enchanted axe. Why would he say…THAT to me. Of all things, unless he knew that I would recognize it…_

"Glinda, I'm back." A warm strawberry jam voice interrupted her.

"Amee?" Glinda asked turning quickly.

Nimmie smiled from the door. Glinda ran and gave her a big Glinda-is-happy-hug and motioned for her to sit.

"I simply must do your hair for tomorrow! But first, I know that business comes before fashion, so spill!" Glinda asked her voice falling back to it's excited squeak.

"You mean the work with the Animal Refugees? The Dillamond Charter?" Nimmie asked for personal clarification.

"Of course silly, what else has been bothering me for the last six months?"

"Your bust size." Nimmie replied half joking.

"That too, but tell me, tell me!" Glinda pleaded.

"Well, I had wanted to wait until, well… the festival was over to break bad news, but the Animals don't trust us and they dislike the whole idea of a charter. They say that it's some kind of contract to take what little they have away." Nimmie shook her head with a heavy sigh.

"Amee, they didn't sign?" Glinda asked bluntly.

"Not a paw print, nor Llama spit signature. Frankly, I don't blame them; after all, Morrible and her little lackeys did a number on them. Lucky for us, the human kid, and that black mop head with feet enlisted the Lion, and unwittingly scored us a victory. That Lion is now a national hero. And the freedom he enjoys may act as an incentive for the other Animals to come back."

"You mean, for them to want to accept the reinstated citizenship I'm offering them." Glinda said with approval.

"Exactly." Nimmie confirmed.

"Then, why haven't they accepted yet? They've had three years, since I came up with the charter and more than ten opportunities, since I assigned you as special courier." Glinda said flopping down onto a lounge chair and pouting.

"We've had a small trickle of Animals coming back in, the percentages get a little bit better every year, but not in the leaps and bounds that you had originally envisioned for the Dillamond Charter." Nimmie tried to be comforting.

"I want those figures to be exactly what I had calculated, if not better… and you know what happens when I want something. I get it."

"Easy there, I sensed a little bit of Morrible in that remark. Remember, her little coalition is still around too! Just cause she died four and a half years ago doesn't mean her doctrine doesn't live on in some twisted people. She fills the streets with her propaganda and frightens the Animals away. Stories of underground torture, ridiculous punishments, etc, etc, are rumors that spread fast, because that is what the Animals expect to hear. They still don't think that anything has changed, and that you personally, are trying to bring them back into slavery to the peoples of Oz." Nimmie explained.

"Then, how can we get those figures the honest way?" Glinda asked. Nimmie thought for a minute… certain tactics were definitely out, she and Glinda had both come to a reasonable consensus on what Nimmie would and would not do for Glinda's new governmental ideas. The only way would be to gain their trust, the hard way. Talking them into it. Even worse was the fact that it would still be up to the Animals to join or refuse to sign the charter.

"My contact lives within a major Animal Refugee Camp out in the Oogaboo Mountains. I have been using that contact to get me information and meetings with Animal Refugee leaders, to talk about the Charter.

"Unfortunately, according to my source, the camp used to be easier to get to, but after Morrible's little twister of fate caused the magissurequake, (the magical impact from a house from one world falling into another, especially on the Wicked Witch of the East a major magical pressure point.) it shifted and greatly enlarged the mountain range so that now it reaches from the most northeastern corner of Winkie Country, to the fork of the Munchkin and Winkie Rivers smack dab in the middle of Winkie country.

"As if that wasn't bad enough, the mountains bend further southeast from there, completely splitting Yips' Territory into two tiny counties. The camp, most probably moved after Morrible's stupid pressure shift and now, I'm sure that they would not be brave enough to come down the mountain on the Emerald City side…" Nimmie pulled out a handy map and traced the area she was speaking of with her finger, "So they would either stay in the mountains or they could be anywhere in there." She pointed to the expanse of land between the eastern Deadly Desert and the new border of the Oogaboo Mountains.

"That's quite a gamble. You intend to try and reach them?"

"If you want the Charter to go through, I'll have to try." Nimmie replied honestly.

"We don't have any other chance really, do we?" Glinda asked.

"No, we don't."

"Then do your best, Amee. Tell me if you need anything and I'll do what I can." Glinda instructed.

"I'll think about the whole thing tonight and get back to you with a list of supplies by tomorrow, day after, the latest. Good luck with the festival." Nimmie said with a reverent bow, leaving Glinda to officially commence the festivities.


	3. Chapter 3

Tik Tock 3

It was the kind of quiet Tinman liked in his room. No lights, no sound other than the dull roar of the crowd nearly silenced by his shut windows. It gave him time to mull over his miserable predicament.

He felt overwhelmed by the largeness of it all. He had grown tired of the whole business almost as soon as it began. He was no hero; it was Dorothy who had done all work. He had just come along hoping to get what he missed most. After all, it was embarrassing to not have what everyone was supposed to, even more embarrassing since he had one and actually lost it.

The metallic ticking from the makeshift heart gave him a little comfort.

_At least I have something that looks like it. I have what I lost. _

"You won't ever tell her will you?" Nimmie said turning the knob up on the gaslight, flooding the room with a bright light. Tinman squinted, half out of habit, half out of disbelief.

"I don't know what you're talking about." He replied turning around, trying to look busy.

"Still the same… how many years has it been really?" Nimmie asked persistently and sat on his bed folding her legs under her.

"You are the most persistent fan I've ever met. Not to mention nosy. How do you know a fig about me and my private life?" Tinman said defensively. Nimmie shook her head.

"You wouldn't remember even if I told you. I thought that life had finally sent me one of those twists of fate I could take. I guess I was wrong. I thought you'd remember me. But you're just like Glinda was to you. You're just the same single minded munchkin you were before!" Nimmie threw at him in a pitch of anger. Tinman was thoroughly surprised and more that slightly irritated.

"First of all, Glinda is Glikin. Second, How can I participate in this little argument when I have never seen you before?" Tinman retorted hotly.

"That's just it, Boq! You see me but don't actually see anything!" Nimmie slipped up and quickly fell back onto the bed looking into her lap. Tinman sat there stunned.

"How did you know who I really am?" He asked slowly. Nimmie's cheeks reddened.

"Well, I was there. I saw it all. I know it all. More than Glinda, more than even you." Nimmie replied carefully.

"You were there? But, how?"

"You would only be hurt more if I told you everything. I can't do it now, there's too much to say and too little time to say it." Nimmie said getting to her feet.

"The festival is going on for a week! It would take that long?" Tinman asked incredulous.

"I'm not staying for the festival. You see, I told you a small lie on the way here. I am a Quadling and I am from Gypsy stock. I have been trained as an entertainer, but I'm not really an entertainer. I'm part of a small government group, headed by Glinda, trying to slowly get things back to normal after the wizard pulled his tricks and was backed by Morrible."

"Madame Morrible? My philosophy teacher from Shiz?"

"That's not all she taught as you and I know. She taught sorcery to Glinda and Elphaba."

Tinman locked his jaw and looked at the ground, "I don't ever want to hear that name again. You know it's forbidden to even say it."

"It's a name… it's not going to bite you. But I digress, Morrible was basically using the wizard as a puppet ruler, it was her own personal goals that were being implemented and she had intended to get adepts that were powerful enough to eventually overthrow the wizard and control all of Oz from the four points of the compass. Your madam Minister of Munchkinland was an accidental but highly effective tool. Glinda herself was taken in until Morrible killed Nessa Rose."

"Morrible killed Nessa Rose? Where is that connection?"

"Listen, I don't have the time to explain everything and you can't repeat any of this outside, because… it's dangerous for you and for Glinda if you were tell speak openly of these things.

"As I was saying, Nessa died and Glinda found out that she had behind it the whole time to capture Elphaba. It nearly worked. When it didn't Dorothy came along and you know the rest of the story." Nimmie explained looking over her shoulder at the door every now and again.

"What's your point?" Tinman asked leaning forward.

"Morrible was arrested and later on, died in prison, under unusual circumstances, we're pretty sure it was suicide. Anyway, her followers live on, most of them are pushing her agenda even now. In fact, Glinda got out of being an adept, Nessa and Elphaba are dead, but, Morrible still has one major trump card that I fear."

"What is that?"

"Another adept. Trained and even more instructed than Elphaba. It was her back up in case anyone found out and exactly what has happened did happen. Her own son."

"Son! Horrible Morrible had a son?"

"Yes, by your Wonderful Wizard. No one knows that and you can't tell Glinda. I found out… in my own way. His name is Scise."

"And he is here now?"

"I don't know. But, Glinda has had a guilty conscience ever since Elphaba and Nessa died. She's tying to make it up to them in a way. So she's drafted a charter and is currently trying to reconstruct the bridge between us humans and Animals, like your pal the Lion. And I admit with some trepidation, that we've had little success…in fact… none." Nimmie said with a heavy sigh.

"What has all this to do with anything?"

"I'm leaving to find an Animal Refugee Camp somewhere in the Oogaboo Mountain Range, or in that basin. I have established contacts there and they'll get me where I have to go, but I have a feeling Scise is behind the resistance. He has so many spies and imposters that to find them all would be impossible. But if I can get this charter to be accepted we could be on the verge of establishing a new age of peace. Morrible's plans would be seriously hampered by a surge of support from reinstated Animals. I need you to remember all of this, just in case." Nimmie said nervously.

"In case what?"

"I disappear, or… don't come back. Or Scise gets me before I get them. I'm sure that he knows just as much as I do, if not more and that 'more' could be the location of the camp. If he gets his hands on it, we could be in for an upheaval of very large proportions."

"Well, what about me? You haven't said a thing about how you know so much about me?"

"Boq, when I get back, I promise I'll tell you everything." Nimmie closed her eyes and threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug.

"I promise. Be careful." Nimmie whispered in his ear before leaving.


	4. Chapter 4

Tik Tock 4

Nimmie moved very quickly towards the exit, if Glinda saw her she might actually give her that makeover Nimmie absolutely did not want.

"Amee! Where are you going?" Glinda chirped coming out from behind a pillar.

"Out to find the refugee camp of course. You and I made the arrangements today. Remember? I figured you'd like it if I got a head start." Nimmie said wishing her bright red blush would go away.

"Right, about that. I need to have a talk with you again." Glinda said firmly.

"You've decided to not go through with it?" Nimmie asked.

"No, but Amee, why do you have a scar on your back?" Glinda prompted. Nimmie sighed like a child who just lost an argument.

"Because I was attacked."

"And why were you attacked?"

"Because I was alone."

"And on the last trip I told you to take someone with you to keep you safe and did you?"

"No."

"Then, it's settled, you're going to have to find yourself a traveling partner won't you?"

"Yes, Glinda."

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"Good, I'll get Asterly or Spigot to go with you," Glinda began walking towards the huge double doors, her entrance into the festival would be any minute now. Nimmie turned to leave.

"Oh! And Amee?"

"Yes?"

"Wait until tomorrow before you go anywhere. I have to ask you some more questions on a somewhat weighty matter." Glinda said looking slightly troubled.

"I will. Be safe, Glinda. Don't over do it. We need you around a little longer too. Tell me if you spot any Notables." Nimmie said jogging up the stars to her own quarters. An alarm had suddenly gone off in her mind. She had become so in tune to that last parting gift that she knew the instant it went off, that something important was up.

She threw open her door and leapt for a pile of clothes stuffed into a dark corner. She pulled the clothes away tearing quickly at them, lest she lose the signal. At the bottom of the pile there seemed to be nothing but Nimmie closed her eyes and mumbled:

_Sha ay tru tem met sha. _

Slowly it flickered once, twice and became solid; it was a large pocket watch about the size of Nimmie's palm. On the cover there was a large dragon with many different cogs in the background. She flipped the cover open and the watch face buzzed quietly emitting assorted blurry beams of light. Nimmie grasped the watch winder and turned it back and forth until the image was clear.

"Nimmie? Is that you?" A familiar voice said.

"Elphaba! You couldn't have picked a worse time. It's the annual festival celebrating your death. Scise will most certainly be looking for some kind of signal at the festival. How's Dillamond? Is he talking yet?"

"He's no where near where he once was. But slowly it's all coming back to him. I know I shouldn't have taken the risk but I had to tell you something, that might change the next trip that you take out here." Elphaba replied.

"Well what is it?" Nimmie asked.

"Let me show you." Elphaba turned to her side and handed the screen off to a jovial, familiar looking face.

"Fiyero!" Nimmie exclaimed.

"In the flesh, literally! Not that I minded being made out of straw, I had more excuses for not thinking, but Elphaba's so stubborn and such a hard worker, she figured out how to reverse the spell. Not bad huh?"

"Incredible! So it worked this time? That's wonderful! Is it permanent?"

"Has been for the last three weeks. The fourth will be a week of truth, that's the limit on any temporary fix so far. Here's Elphaba again." Fiyero replied.

"Nimmie, I can't bring back the dead, but I can fix other things, if Fiyero's change is permanent then I want to fix one last mistake I've made." Elphaba said.

"Boq? You are gonna try and change him back? That's a little tough… after all it wasn't one spell, it was two, and the first spell was not read correctly. Are you sure you want to try?" Nimmie asked.

"Yes, even if I can't fix some of the things I've done, I want to fix the things I can. Even if it's hard. Boq paid for my negligence and I don't want to have his misery on my conscience." Elphaba said her voice indicating how much this meant to her.

"Well, hold onto your hats, but he's here in the Emerald City, in the Emerald Palace right now. He came for the festival like he does every year, but I haven't been able to see him because I was away visiting you or trying to get that Charter through so I haven't even spoken to him in over five years, but I did today," Nimmie's smile disappeared and she looked down at the bottom of the watch, "He didn't remember me, and then I slipped up and got into an argument with him. I ended up telling him everything about the charter and more about Scise than I would have liked, but don't worry, he doesn't know that you and Fiyero are alive."

"Good, do you think you could get him here, without telling him that I'm the one who is going to help him? I don't think he would come otherwise."

"I know, but I'm not sure how to break it to him. I'll do my best. Anyway in a couple of days a week at the most, I'll be coming back to your neck of the woods, hopefully with him in tow. I have to go, the festival has begun and I'm needed at the wagon. Bye!"

"I'll see you soon!" Elphaba called as the watch flickered off. Nimmie heaved a deep sigh and looked out her window.

_Looks like things just got tougher… again. Seems like I'm going to have to do some unofficial probing. Sweet Oz! I already hate the thought of doing it to him. He's suffered enough. Poor Boq… but if I can't find out how he feels about things then I certainly won't be able to get him to come with me. After the storytelling is finished, there will be a grand banquet and that'll be a good place to start the probing, after that, with a couple of carefully placed prompts, I should get some kind of a response. _

Nimmie lay back on her cot and shut her eyes tight. She made sure that all things in her mind were silenced and slowly controlled her breathing.

_Now, concentrate, Boq moves as I move, Boq hears as I hear, he speaks as I speak, he feels as I feel. I am witness to everything he might do. Now… fall in._

She was looking at a huge crowd of people, the story of Dorothy and the Demise of the Wicked Witch had been more than halfway told. Boq was barely speaking he would occasionally clarify, but Lion had taken center stage and was telling most of it, with shameless exaggeration. The people loved it though. They looked up at Boq with their glassy eyes drinking in his every detail like some circus freak spectacle.

That's what he was… a circus freak. Some twisted tin monster groveling after the blood lust of the maniacal, tyrannical masses. He picked out a happy couple making out and completely ignoring the people around them. He let out an unhappy sigh. Glinda was the only thing he could think of. She was so beautiful, he could love no other. What he wouldn't give to-

Nimmie's eyes flew open and she sat up in her bed. Her concentration had been completely shattered. She looked around her. Her room (because she had wanted it so for "safety reasons") had been put at the highest, loneliest part of the castle. It was an old and dirty room, filled with musty smells and little bugs. There was nothing beautiful about it. Nimmie grabbed a cracked hand mirror and held it up to her face. In the dim light her sun-touched skin seemed darker and rough, there were no dainty dimples, no smooth milkyness. Her eyes, were nothing more than accessories to a shabby face. Nothing was pretty, things in Nimmie were practical, at least to her eyes.

There was a tattered looking pillow thrown into a corner. Nimmie scooped it up and held it close. She couldn't cry, not for all the hurt in the world could she break. Not now, not when she was needed. Nimmie didn't cry, but she did not probe, nor eat, nor sleep the whole night.

It was early morning before Nimmie stirred. Her joints were stiff and her muscles cramped from remaining as stationary as she had for the last few hours. The room was crisply chilled and acted as an accurate barometer for the weather outside.

_I have to get out, go for a walk or something. I'll be happy to get away from this place. I can't go on like this. Eventually I'll crack… and when I do… they'll sweep me under the rug like all of the other broken toys. _

As silent as her cat, Nimmie crept down into the main hall of the palace, now filled with empty, messy tables waiting to be cleaned. Silence was golden and hung in the air and from the walls with the confidence of a conqueror. Nimmie liked the stillness. It reminded her of her long camping trips when she was young, or the quiet hush that promptly swept over Shiz at midnight.

She wandered the tall walled expanse, casually inspecting this or that. Moonlight poured in from the upper windows and cast little pockets of silver on the floor. Everything was so still, Nimmie could almost believe she was the only person in the world.

"Oh hallowed halls and vine draped walls, the proudliest sight there is, when gray and sheer are hair hath turn we shall still revere our lessons learned in our days at dear old…"

"Ahem!"

Nimmie jumped and looked behind her. Tinman was sitting as relaxed as possible on a wooden bench in the shadows of a convenient corner. She tried to smile and put her hand to her heart.

"You startled me. I thought I was alone."

"I'm sorry." He said bluntly, he gave a last glance to his stiff tin fingers and said quickly, "I'm made of tin, so I don't sleep."

"I figured as much." Nimmie said with a supportive shrug.

"But the early morning hours, right around this time, were always my favorites when I was… when I was younger." Tinman replied.

"I remember… I used to see you walking the brick wall trying to get a glimpse into the girl's dormitory."

"So you did go to Shiz with me. I thought so. Something sparked my memory after you had left. I had an inkling that you were there. Somehow, it was the strangest feeling," He turned to her, "that somehow I had known you better, but, you were covered in smoke." He looked nervously down into his lap.

"That sounds too strange." He mumbled.

Nimmie moved closer, "You were thinking about me?"

"Only because you had behaved so, so, crazy that it stuck with me for a while. In fact, the whole night." Boq replied falling all over his last statement. Nimmie sighed and up at the mosaic ceiling.

"I'm sorry. I guess I did come on a little strong. After all these years, I still haven't learned much about tact. Seems to be a weakness of mine. I wear my heart on my sleeve most of the time. It's a really bad habit." Nimmie chuckled. Boq said nothing for a while.

"Do you think I'm a coward for not telling Glinda everything?" He said suddenly. Nimmie was surprised and momentarily taken off guard.

"Coward? I am not qualified to speak on those things. Besides, you said you don't know me that well. Why ask me to talk about something as personal as that?" Nimmie said trying to be selfish but at the same time wanting to be fair to Boq.

"Well, you just seem like the person who would give good solid advice. You know all this stuff about me, somehow. Maybe you can clear it up. Tell me. Do you think so?" He pressed. Nimmie squirmed mentally, torn between honesty and selfishness.

"No, you have your own reasons, whatever they may be." Nimmie said knowing that selfishness had won.

"Oh, because before you sounded almost angry that I hadn't told her. I was just curious to hear what you really thought." Boq replied. Nimmie seemed to be getting more and more edgy.

"Don't you remember me? Just a little bit? Perhaps, a conversation, or my name, or anything. What about my tambourine? Remember, you and I painted it together as a study of Quadling culture, for Professor Bevele." Nimmie asked her voice picking up volume and speed until she was nearly begging him to do the impossible. Boq shook his head and knitted his brow in an effort to recall something, not that it meant much to him. She was probably just trying to get attention.

"Nope. Nothing. Though I do remember the first weekend in Shiz was the one I went to the Ozdust Ballroom, with Glinda acting as Nessa Rose's chaperone. Glinda wore a pink dress with assorted frills and had a pink flower in her hair." Boq sighed. Nimmie looked down at the green marble floor and mused thoughtfully for a minute. An idea struck her.

"Now, try this one. It may scare you; in fact it'll probably terrify you, but just humor me. Try to remember who your parents are, try to remember your first pet, the color of your home. Something that predates you coming to Shiz."

"What is this nonsense? Of course I can remember who my parents are! They are…they are…This is ridiculous! My first pet was… it was…Color of my house? I do know this one… it's, I swear to you it'll come to me… give me a few seconds." Slowly his hands went to his head, his eyes widened as the weight of the realization hit him.

"I don't remember!" He gasped, hot tears welled up and fell down his cold cheek. He covered his face quietly sobbed.

"I don't remember… not one thing." He whispered hoarsely.

"Oh, Boq, I am so sorry. I didn't mean for it to hurt like this. I just felt that… well who cares what I felt." Nimmie shimmied onto the bench next to him and tried cheer him up.

"Oh look, you'll rust your jaw shut. Here, let me help you." She said dabbing his cheek with her neckerchief.

"Thank you," He turned towards her, "Who are you really? Enough about this stuff about working for Glinda. Who are you? What are you? Why are you here telling me these things?" His eyes were frigid and expecting an answer. Nimmie would have to give one, and it had better be a good one.

"You and I were friends at school, whenever Glinda wasn't around. I was going to ask you out to go dancing that weekend, but you told me that you intended to ask Glinda out that day, so I didn't say anything. Since that day, you had changed. Always with Nessa Rose. It took me a while to figure out what had happened, but by then it was too late. You and I stayed friends on and off through school, and whenever you had a problem you'd come and we'd talk. Just like this."

"Just like this? No, not like this, because, back then I was normal! I wasn't well…look at me! Does this look like the person you knew?" Nimmie couldn't reply.

"I thought so. So, whatever you're trying to get me to remember you might as well stop. I'll never be him again." Boq said coldly. Nimmie stiffened and rose quickly.

"I guess I was just wasting my time. The man I knew and what you are now aren't even remotely connected. You and he are nothing alike." She pointed an accusing finger at the red ticking heart around his neck, "if you think that thing will ever replace what you lost, then Boq is much more dead than I thought." She turned her back on him and let the tears fall lightly without a sound.

"You think there'd ever be chance to change this? You just don't seem to get it. This is permanent. She said so herself. So why bother trying to be someone I don't remember?" Boq replied tapping his empty chest letting the echo ring out over the silence. Nimmie said something but it was choked out.

"What?"

"I said, there's a chance. But you'd never take it Tinman. You're heart's not in the right place." Nimmie turned and quickly ran from the hall, leaving the Tinman to sit in the darkness alone.


	5. Chapter 5

Tik Tock 5

Nimmie threw herself into the grass at the Wonderful Wizard Park, letting her tears heat the cold morning earth. For a while all nothing passed through her mind, all that she knew, was to cry and to cry well. She had just sacrificed the last scraps of her own battered heart. Now she'd have to wait.

Nimmie was sure, almost sure, that he'd ask her about it when he saw her again. Whatever condition her heart was in by then, she'd have to tell him as much as she was allowed and tell him he could come. They'd travel together again, and she's just begin to start picking up her life where is had ended, a little more than six years ago. Then, he'd find out that Elphaba is the one who wanted to help him, and he'd refuse. The whole drama played out in her mind.

Nimmie pulled herself together and shut off her tears. She brushed hair out of her face and sat on a small hill looking at the empty park. From every corner, she heard some conversation she and Boq had had such a long time ago:

"_You always stay out here looking into the girl's dormitory every night?"_

"_No, I was, um, just, um," _

"_Never mind, I don't want to know. My name's Nimmie." _

"_Mine's Boq." _

"Boq? I like that, short and sweet, it fits you." 

From where the overlarge statue of the wizard stood she could hear more:

"You know what, Nimmie?" 

"_What?"_

"_I'm in love, with the most beautiful and kind-hearted person in the world."_

"_You are?"_

"_Yes, and do you know who that person is?"_

"_Well, I, uh…no, tell me"._

"_You're going to think I sound silly."_

"_No, of course not, Boq. Tell me."_

"_Galinda of the Upper Glikins, oh, Galinda."_

"_Oh." _

"_You don't sound happy for me."_

"_No, no, I was just thinking deeply on the matter that's all. I'm so happy for you Boq. Love is a really great thing. Especially when it happens to you." _

Still more memories poured in from the gleaming lampposts lining every path and courtyard:

"_Listen, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to go to the Ozdust ballroom with me tonight, Boq. Do you want to go?"_

"_Oh, Nimmie! I'm going already! You see, I'm doing a favor for Galinda and I'm taking Nessa Rose, (you know Elphaba's younger sister),to the ballroom. Galinda said that I was her hero for doing such a chivalrous thing! Nimmie! This could be it! The night I confess my feelings for her! I'm so nervous."_

"_You'll do fine. I'm right here if you need me, ever. Boq, you can always come to me, no matter what, I'll never leave you out in the dark. You go and have a great time."_

That had been the last time she had seen her Boq. The one that came back from that evening was already becoming Tinman. Nimmie struggled to get to her feet. The sun was just coming up, and the pale rays colored everything in a glossy green. The cold air made her stiff, but the warmth covered her in a comforting glow.

Ever since her parents had died in a Quadling rebel raid against the Emerald City guards, led by Shell a year before Elphaba's death, she'd been living with an uncle. He wasn't the nicest of creatures nor was he the most sober, and many times Nimmie had tasted blood instead of affection.

She joined up with very distant relatives in a caravan and learned all manner of tricks laced with sorcery and song. Even then, she'd be mocked by passersby and labeled "The Patchwork Girl" because of her tatters. Taking their jeers to heart, she made it her persona and her stage name became Patchwork. Eventually she grew sick of this treatment. She longed to be of actual use to someone.

Coming and working for the government in Emerald City after getting in contact with Glinda and using her connection to Nessa Rose, to get the job of head of Reozification Department made her feel worth something again.

_I almost did think I had grown up since Boq died. I guess… I'm still the same silly schoolgirl with a crush. _

Tinman sat there, how long since Nimmie had left had been a mystery. He was stunned at how deep that had cut. All of his security had been swept out from under his feet with a sentence or two.

It was exactly as she said; he had wanted the one thing he missed the most. He didn't care how fake it looked, or if gears and springs ran it. He had wanted one to flaunt to the world and show that he was just as normal as the next guy. That's what he had wanted by going along with Dorothy. He was a coward. He hadn't even helped her kill the old hag. Even Lion had helped her. Lion was supposed to be the coward. Tinman was supposed to be fearless. Fire, hunger, sleep, these things meant nothing to him. He was invincible and yet, he felt so vulnerable. Nimmie had ripped the cover off of his façade and let the wound sting to the open air.

He felt even more depressed than usual.

_But, she's said that there's a chance, that I could be normal again. If I could, I could finally go to Glinda. Fiyero is dead, Elphaba is gone too, all that is left is she and I. I'd tell her all of the things I had been dying to forever. That would be wonderful! It would be incredible! I feel better just thinking about it! _ He let out a sigh and breathed out all of the gloom that had accumulated over the last few days. Tinman was back in action. For the first time he felt ready to take on anything.

He shot up from his seat and took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. A thought came to him.

"My house was light yellow, with dark green shutters and a green tiled roof! Nimmie! I remembered my house! I remember! It was only one floor and my room was the last one at the end of the hall on the left! Nimmie! I remembered it!"

Nimmie had crawled back to her room, soggy, tired, and in the dumps. She had taken the tradesman entrance to make sure that she wouldn't run into Boq on her way up. She wasn't ready to deal with him yet.

People down below were stirring and laughter was beginning to build outside. She hated festivals and other such social gatherings. People had already begun to party and it was only about seven.

"I need sleep." She croaked to Jester who had probably been sleeping the whole time. Jester opened an eye and with an irritated sigh, turned around and went back to sleep.

"What a pal." Nimmie replied letting her eyes do what they felt like. Slowly they closed and with a relaxed sigh Nimmie let sleep tuck her in.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM! "Nimmie! Let me in!" A familiar voice said.

Nimmie cracked an eye open and let out a groan into her pillow. It was the Tinman.

"What do you want? I need to sleep! I spent most of the night talking to you! Go away! I'll talk to you later!" Nimmie replied crabbily and put the pillow over her head.

"Open up! I remembered the color of my house! I remembered where my room was! I even remember what street it was on! Let me tell you!" Boq pleaded banging on the door.

"Tell me later!" Nimmie replied grouchily.

"Please?" The voice behind the door pleaded. Nimmie shut her eyes. She was a sucker for an honest plea and couldn't turn him away.

"Alright! I'm coming. Hold on." Nimmie said throwing herself up and trying to fumble towards the door.

Tinman rattled inside and grabbed her by the shoulders, "It was a green tiled roof! Green shutters! Pale yellow outside and my room, it was the one at the end of the hall on the left side. Is that right? Please tell me that I'm right."

Nimmie looked at him and a small smile passed over her face, "You're right. How did you remember?"

"I was thinking about everything you said. And I want you to know, that if there's a chance I'll take it. And as soon as I had thought it, the whole thing came back. It was like a picture suddenly was in front of my face and it was easy to remember!" Tinman said excitedly, "I remember! I remember! I remember!"

"Wow!" He said breathing out, "That was refreshing! I feel like dancing! I haven't felt like dancing in such a long time."

Nimmie smiled; she liked what she saw. That was very much like her old Boq. Not exactly, but it was close enough for right now.

"Do you remember anything else?"

Tinman considered the question and shut his eyes in deep concentration. He held his breath and made a pained expression. He looked so tense that he looked like he'd pop any second. Nimmie lowered her head and tried to peek at him.

"Well?" She asked trying to stifle a yawn.

He breathed out sharply and let his shoulders fall, "No… still like a black pit. Not a thing."

"Oh. Well, at least you remembered your house. Maybe with time, more will come back to you. Until then," she stretched her hand upwards and let out a long yawn, "I really have to get some sleep. So, if you remember anything else…leave a note under my door. See you later!"

"Wait! You have to tell me about this chance you said was possible." Boq insisted. Nimmie sighed and let her head slump forward.

"Alright. It has to do with the trip I'm taking. I'm not exactly sure how it works, but there seems to be something out there that has cured the impossible. I don't exactly know what it is and it is only a chance. A dangerous one, since Scise will be keeping his eye on me especially, but if you want to take the risk you could end up with the prize. And I guess that you're willing?"

"If it means I can go back to being who I was, then, I'll do anything. Thank you, Nimmie! You will take me won't you? Right?"

"Would I tell you about it just to say that you can't go? Of course you can come. But I need to get some sleep!" Nimmie said maneuvering him towards the door.

"When are you leaving?" Boq asked.

"Never if I don't get some sleep!" Nimmie said finally bumping him out of the room and closing the door. She heard him lose his balance and clatter all the way down the stairs. Nimmie winced as he hit the last step.

"Oh dear…"


	6. Chapter 6

Tik Tock 6

Glinda hadn't really known why Tinman had wanted to leave with Nimmie of all people, to go on some sort of diplomatic mission. He said it was to establish good relations, but the only person Glinda thought could have actually helped by going would have been Lion, but Lion was still lavishly enjoying his fame at the festival.

She had seen to it that they were well provisioned, though, Nimmie was really the only person who needed provisions, since Tinman was well, tin. There was something so familiar about him. Glinda sat through all of her hearings that day trying to remember exactly where she had seen him before that first festival. With a sigh, she gave up and decided it was just déjà vu and nothing more.

Nimmie, she was another story. Glinda could remember the first time they had seen each other. Glinda had just sent the wizard away and had gone to wallow in self-pity and guilt in a local pub, disguised as some sort of regular person. Her disguise hadn't really worked and soon fans everywhere were mobbing her. Nimmie had stepped in and with a quick spell had frozen everyone in their tracks and kept their attention fixed on her, so Glinda could make a somewhat quieter exit. Nimmie came out some time later and one thing led to another and they fell to talking. Glinda asked how she had learned sorcery; Nimmie replied that it was in the family. Glinda asked whether she had ever been to Shiz and Nimmie said yes. Soon they were remembering their favorite classes and professors.

Nimmie had seemed so at peace with herself that Glinda almost envied her. Nimmie had mentioned something about being out of work and needing a job. Glinda knew that she needed someone else who had grown up with Elphaba around, around her too. She offered the position and Nimmie accepted and without even tying off things with that caravan she'd been with, came to the Emerald Palace with Glinda.

Since then, they had become closer friends. Nimmie had such an effective way of gathering information (though Glinda was wise not to ask how) for various political chess moves that soon Glinda knew about every thing that was going on behind the scenes. Her eyes had been opened to the wounded Oz, the Oz that had withered under the wizard. And no one had been as maltreated as the Animals. Glinda remembered ruefully how she had treated Dillamond and how he had disappeared so suddenly from Shiz. It was there that she decided to start fixing things. Nimmie was only too happy to try and help patch things up.

Although she never said so, Glinda had the slightest inkling that Nimmie had suffered at the hands of the Emerald Palace guards, because she did all her own recruiting and never once requested the use of them. She didn't trust them and did not once, ever talk within earshot of them. Glinda never asked why, and Nimmie never volunteered the information, so it was still a mystery.

_So, Nimmie's off again. Let's hope that she's finds that camp and that Charter goes through. I hope it will. We can't keep messing up. Scise will not give us a generous time frame before he tries to pull something serious. I wish that Nimmie would be careful. It's totally possible that he'll try to harm her. She and he have crossed irons a couple of times and with Nimmie coming out on top so far, it might make him more than a little frustrated. _Glinda thought praying for her courier's safety.

"Sorry about your fall." Nimmie said sheepishly looking down at the reins. Boq pouted.

"Do you want to help me or not? I thought you were serious when you said all that stuff whenever it was. Why push me down the stairs and get me so bent that it took the smiths a whole day to fix?" Boq said folding his oiled elbows as comfortably as possible.

"I said I was sorry, and I didn't push you, you fell." Nimmie retorted crisply. Boq thought it best to change the subject.

"Where are we headed?"

"Oogaboo Mountain Range. First we're making a few stops. I have to make contact with my contact." Nimmie started to giggle and looked over at him, her eyes calling him to join in the simple mirth. Tinman gave her a blank stare.

"Sorry, I was trying to be funny." She said apologetically.

"Oh, right." Tinman replied with a slow nod.

"What type of fellow is this contact anyway?" Tinman asked a few moments later.

"He is definitely a bird of a different feather, I'll tell you that much." Nimmie said clicking the reins a little bit.

"I see, so, how well are we stocked for this adventure?" Tinman asked.

"Food enough for the way there, we'll restock on the way back. Two passengers, assorted knick knacks in the rear of the wagon, and the clothes on our backs." Nimmie replied running off the short inventory.

"But, what about me? I can't say that I'm wearing anything." Tinman said inspecting his arms.

"What about you? What difference does it make if you're wearing something or not?" Nimmie asked.

"Well, it's indecent for one thing!" Tinman retorted.

"Truthfully, you really don't have anything to really hide… anyway." Nimmie said wincing, "Besides," she quickly recovered, "Think of it as you're wearing a covering over the real you. If you were really naked you'd just be air…"

"I've never thought of it that way before."

_Neither have I._ Nimmie admitted. Needless to say that there was nothing much left to say and things grew quiet until they stopped for the night in a dark and overly gloomy forest.

Nimmie quickly set up camp, bustling about with a tinderbox, and dry wood for a campfire. Boq watched her with a creeping curiosity. She had such a boundless energy leaping about inside of her like a flame. In fact, whenever she peeked over at him, she'd move faster and looked more embarrassed until she collapsed on the other side of a cheery campfire and let out a long sigh.

"Everything's taken care of." She said half talking to herself.

"What about dinner? Aren't you going to eat?" Tinman asked.

"Dinner?" By the expression on Nimmie's face she had obviously forgotten about it. She shrugged.

"I'm not that hungry. Besides, I've gone without meals before." She said her eyes darting, following the crackle of the flames. Boq knitted his brow and peered at her. There was something there. Something that they had spoken about before, perhaps in front of a fire or under an amber lamp, something… why wasn't it coming. It was right there. Right on the tip of his tongue.

Slowly Nimmie's eyes strayed from the fire and locked onto his. How long they sat just looking at each other was anyone's guess. There seemed to be a conversation going back and forth, but without words, without any particular meaning, just an odd curiosity. Boq broke first. Something had shifted inside him, something had struck a nerve. He'd beg her again.

"Would you tell me more about what I can't remember? It's just that…it's right there… right here." He said holding something invisible in his hands.

"Like what?" Nimmie conceded.

"Like whether we've ever had a conversation in front of a fire like this." Boq clarified. Nimmie inhaled and cocked her head sideways, as if counting the amount of times.

"We never really talked outside with a campfire, maybe… well, we used to meet every Friday night. We'd break into the grand library through the fire escape and sit in front of the large fireplace, reading. Sometimes we would talk. A lot of the time it was just… reading together. Or doing assignments together. We had actual talks outside, under the ivy overhang in the main garden. That stopped after… well, who cares when it stopped. It just ended and," She sighed and let her muscles relax, "that's that."

"It's funny, the more I think about it the harder I find it to picture that. I just see things and they don't seem to make any sense. Like short flickers cut up and scrambled so that I can't make heads or tails of them. It's almost like trying to do a puzzle in the dark. Have you ever had that happen to you?" Boq asked, not really looking at her until she didn't reply.

Her eyes were closed, her lashes meshed gently together. Her mouth was slightly turned up on the sides giving her a peaceful, free look. Nimmie looked a lot less troubled when she slept. She didn't look less attractive, but her face held a simplicity that Boq, almost envied. There was no conflict for Nimmie as she slept. There was only a fitful consciousness and a calm sleep. She wasn't plagued by nightmares or worries. There was something about her that separated the two states into distinct people. One Nimmie was a front for the other and Boq still couldn't remember which was which.

Boq never tired, so he sat for hours just watching Nimmie sleep. He discovered a funny thing. When you watch people sleep, you seem closer to them than ever before. You enter an intimate vicinity that few are privileged to see. Boq could almost feel the quiet rise and fall of her chest and the gentle rhythm of her breathing. How he longed for the easiness of sleep. It was something so basic that, not many ever no what it's like to not need sleep. The eternal boredom of waiting for morning made him restless, but with no one to talk to, or anything to do, he was resigned to anticipate the first rays of sunlight.

Boq had been the first to hear it. It was like the quietest tremor of distant thunder. Except it was closer and fiercer. At first he thought that the boredom had done something to his hearing and now he was hearing things that didn't exist, but when it repeated a third time and after the fourth time he heard leaves breaking only about ten feet away, he shook Nimmie's arm gently to wake her.

"What is it?" She mumbled groggily. Boq held a finger to his lips and motioned for her to come closer.

"We have some sort of animal in the bracket about ten feet from the back of the wagon." Boq whispered. Nimmie's eyes widened and she gripped his arm tightly.

"The back of the wagon? You're sure?" She asked. Boq nodded. She inhaled sharply and crept noiselessly along the ground and over to the front of the wagon. She almost climbed up without one but when she thought about it a second she grabbed a smoldering firebrand. Balancing the rest of her weight on her three free limbs she shimmied up the front of the wagon like a spider and crawled along the top towards the back.

Her heart was pounding in her ears. She had to concentrate to keep her breathing slow and quiet. As she crawled she thought of what she would do if it were what she thought it was. She closed her eyes and tightened her grip on the torch and felt for the edge of the wagon. Quickly she peered over the edge and was met with two vicious-looking bright yellow cat eyes.

Not waiting to scream she plunged the torch into one of them and listened as the creature roared and screamed in agony. It let out roar with it's great bear claws ripped a chunk out of the back of the wagon, while covering it's blinded eye with the other. It swiped again, barely missing Nimmie's head. Nimmie rolled off the safe side and landed with a thud in the tall grass.

The creature was still complaining vehemently about its injury and although it was too busy to catch Nimmie's scent, it clapped an uninjured eye on a thoroughly confused Tinman.

When Boq saw what was coming he let out a sharp gasp, "Kalidah!" Boq had seen the like of this thing before, on his journey towards the Wizard he had run into the Kalidah, a ferocious monster with the body of an overlarge Bear and the head of a Wild cat, with teeth, claws and a temper to match.

Kalidah certainly wasn't the reasoning kind and seeing the only innocent bystander being the Tinman, it seemed a perfect opportunity to take out a little pent up frustration.

Boq saw the looked of the chase, flicker into the Kalidah's good eye and Boq didn't wait twice to try and run. His clumsy joints clattered this way and that, he tried to make good speed but his fear only worked against his limited mobility. He caught his foot on some hidden root and fell to the ground with a rushing rattle of metal. The Kalidah was closing in. Boq tried to brawl backwards but he couldn't move nearly as fast enough to get away. He was only a few feet from his trusty axe if he could only reach it he could have a chance.

With a desperate fling his stretched his arm out as far as it would go. Too short, he couldn't reach it. It was impossible. Boq closed his eyes and prepared himself to be opened like a can of Whiz Cream.

"BOQ!" Nimmie yelled above the Kalidah's roar. She hoisted herself back onto the top of the wagon swinging an axel chain in one hand and holding the other out for balance. The petrified horse moved in its reins and began to rear and buck to get lose. She had only a few second before the horse took off leaving her stranded with an angry Kalidah. Taking a quick running start Nimmie leapt form the top brandishing her chain.

With a thud she grabbed onto the Kalidah's bent back and swung the chain around its neck, holding herself steady with her legs as tight as she could. She pulled back hard and waited tugged as the Kalidah began to look around wildly trying to find his invisible attacker.

"Boq! Boq, now!" She screeched over the Kalidah's expressions of rage. Bow grabbed the axe and swung it forward. It buried itself deep in the Kalidah's chest, spurting black blood. Kalidah shook uncontrollably and managed to slash Nimmie's unprotected shoulder. With only last hard shake he threw her clear off of his back and into the nearest tree.

Nimmie's body slammed to the ground and went limp. Boq was no longer afraid of this beast. His blow was a fatal one. Whatever the Kalidah did now would not save itself. But Nimmie was another issue. Moving quickly past the Kalidah, as it coughed up a large amount of blood, Boq scooped up Nimmie and headed into the dark security of the forest.


	7. Chapter 7

Tik Tock 7

All Nimmie could hear was a dull sound changing tempo and pitch. Her head swam with assorted things, mostly commentary on the pain seeping into the back of her mind from her arm. For a moment she almost thought that she was in some sort of nightmare. It was dark all around her with a face moving back and forth.

Ever so slowly, thoughts of what had happened trickled back to her. Her eyes flew open and she squired painfully, coming fully into consciousness.

"Nimmie! Are you okay? Sweet Oz, you gave me a fright! I've been trying to wake you for ten minutes. I thought you were dead!" Boq said, his voice racing. Nimmie could barely keep up, her head was pounding and just moving a little made her muscles groan in complaint.

"Boq…what happened to it?" She asked quietly and slowly.

"I got rid of the Kalidah. No worries there." Boq said with a self-satisfied grin.

"Not that, what happened to the wagon?" Nimmie asked.

"Wagon? Our wagon?" Boq asked.

"The wagon that has a copy of the charter inside of it. The revised copy that has to be presented to the Animals." Nimmie replied. Panic was slowly growing inside of her. All of her sore muscles tightened and her head pounded harder with worry.

"I had other things on my mind rather than watching the wagon. Like maybe a killer Kalidah intent on turning me into scrap metal." Boq snapped angrily. Nimmie grabbed onto a helping branch and pulled herself up.

"I don't have time to argue with you. Which direction is the wagon?" Nimmie asked, teetering precariously from heel to toe.

"It's that way, about a half mile. I didn't want to stay too near camp, because Kalidah's usually travel in twos or threes and one was enough for us to handle at the moment." Boq replied sulkily.

"I'll be right back. Stay here."

"Like, Shiz I will!" Boq replied and propped her up against his shoulder.

By the time they had reached the camp Nimmie was in a bad state, her arm was red and swollen, and her head felt hot against Boq's cool tin. She spoke little and held a stationary glazed expression. A few times she would stumble or curse under her breath. Boq could only stare at her and figure out how she was still standing.

The wagon was almost completely destroyed. Its sides had been knocked in and the roof had been demolished and completely trampled on. All of their precious supplies had been destroyed or irretrievably scattered. Nimmie let out a soft moan.

She forced herself to walk on her own towards the wagon. Boq followed close behind, not trusting her stability to last, especially under her current condition. Carefully, she picked up pieces of her wagon and threw them aside. A few times she seemed ready to burst into tears. When she got to the underside of the wagon she turned to Boq and said quickly, "I heard something, check and make sure we are alone."

Sullenly, Bow complied. Brandishing his axe casually back and forth, he patrolled around the forest

_That's gratitude for you. Save her skin and all she can do is shout about some sort of wagon. One other thing, I didn't hear anything, so how could she have? I think that fall did something to her head. _

Nimmie found him a few minutes later carrying a leather sack with a few of the salvaged goods. Her face was grim and her skin pale. She let out a long sigh before speaking right away.

"Scise has the charter. The one I am supposed to be taking to the Animals."

"What? Scise did this?" Boq asked incredulously.

"Here's the proof." Nimmie held out a chain collar encrusted with certain symbols and markings.

"It's a Oppressional. A tool used by circus trainers," She explained, "Quite common in it's simpler form. This one was modified. So that it could control a Kalidah. Though there were three of them there, after we made our exit." Nimmie turned it thoughtfully in her hand.

"How do you know that there were three?" Boq asked, taking the collar and inspecting it.

"Fur color and foot prints. Two sets of foot prints were different sizes than the dead one and I found fur that was lighter than the rest near one of the footprints." Nimmie said tiredly.

"Now what do we do?" Boq asked.

"We press on."

"But if we don't have the charter, why bother making the trip?" Boq asked.

"I made a promise to you, didn't I? You wanted your chance. I promised I'd give it to you. Let's go. We should be well away from here in an hour or so. Now we have to seriously worry about more interference. Especially when Scise finds out that we haven't been scared off that easily." Nimmie said shouldering the pack. Slowly she made her way past Boq, towards the sun, which had risen into the sky. From its lofty abode, it looked down with its severe noonday light.

All day they walked, along a path barely visible with all of the underbrush. Nimmie was having trouble, she never said anything, but Boq could see the strain. A misting of sweat hung on her forehead and her hair was limp and lifeless. She looked blankly ahead, and barely looked at the forest around her, all she knew was what was in front of her.

Sometimes she would mumble things quietly to herself. Sometimes she would grow in volume until it was almost audible and then it would trail off and she'd be silent again.

It was sundown when she finally gave way. Boq had been walking tirelessly, a few steps behind her just in case. She lurched forward and didn't have the strength to cushion her fall.

"Nimmie!" He called worriedly. It was as if someone had flicked a light switch on and off. He saw Nimmie and himself curled up next to a raging fireplace with two textbooks, casually chatting something he couldn't remember.

Boq shook himself. It was late sundown on a hot dry day. Nimmie was only a few feet from where he stood. Boq clanked toward her and lifted her carefully. Her skin was so hot Boq thought it would melt straight through his tin. She was shivering violently her hair was wet with sweat and heat. Boq peeked at her wound. It was violently inflamed and looked pussy under the skin.

He carried her a ways until he found a comfortable spot and gently lay her down in the motherly crook of a tree. She was muttering to herself and looking about blindly for people that weren't there.

"Yes, Madam Rose. Yes, Madam Rose. Right away. Right away. Boq! Were you there? Did you see it all? Yes, Madam Rose. Right…away." She said as her teeth chattered. Boq looked at her concernedly. He had often been told that Kalidahs had terribly putrid claws, carrying all assorted diseases and infections. She had to get help.

_But what can I do? I'm just Boq, I mean… I can't save people's lives. I just try to get myself by. _He looked at her, _But, when it came down to the wire, she was willing to risk herself to help me. I just can't let her suffer like this._

He set about finding dry wood and with the help of a flint stone and his axe he got a cheery fire going. Carefully, he took Nimmie's pack and opened it. Inside he found some rags and a small metal bowl. Hearing a stream a little bit farther down the road, he fetched some water in the bowl. Delicately, he heated the water over the fire and dipped the rags into it.

He started dabbing the wound with the hot water, hoping that it would draw some of the infection out. When it was sufficiently clean, Boq turned his attention to the fever. All night he sat, almost happy to be of some use, and gently mopped her forehead, trying to get the fever to break.

It was just about dawn when she stopped shivering and a ripple of peaceful sleep ran through her. Boq sat back with a relieved sigh. He didn't know why, but he seemed much more worried about her then he believed he should have been.

_My first pet was a dog, we called it Bric-a-brac. My Father's name was Magray, and my mother was Jinjir. _He looked over at his little patient sleeping quietly in the flickering darkness. _I remembered… _


	8. Chapter 8

Tik Tock 8

Something warm was trickling down Nimmie's throat. It was the first real feeling she had in a while. The rest was left up to her memory to forget. Her arm pained her, but not nearly as much as before. Slowly she cracked open her raspberry eye and watched as Boq carefully concentrated on pouring some more broth into her.

He was concentrating so hard that he had stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth and held it there like an artist putting the finishing touches on a masterpiece. She had to smile. That was more like her old Boq.

She swallowed and rubbed her eyes calmly.

"Good morning! I made this out of some bullion cubes you stuffed in your bag. It's a little thin, but I think that anything is better than nothing, if it fills you up." Boq said with a happy smile. Nimmie nodded and watched as he bustled about the campfire with a set of clean rags.

He sat down and began to gently dab at her wound gain.

"It's been oozing for a little while now. Not so pretty, but it means that the infection is going down, though we'll need to stop somewhere and get you proper bandages. After all these rags aren't the cleanest things either, but they did well in a pinch. They got the job done. One works within their means and all that." Boq rambled as Nimmie watched in happy shock.

"Oh and by the way, I remembered my parents and my pet dog, Bric-a-brac. Last night, after your fever broke. I guess I had been so worried I hadn't noticed before. Things are looking up indeed." Boq looked nervously over at her. She was staring at him, her small smile seeping across her face.

"Boq," She said quietly, "I'm sorry." Boq looked surprised. He hadn't expected that of all things.

"W-why?" He stammered.

"I didn't thank you yesterday for… well, it sounds silly, but I mean it. I want to thank you for saving my life. I was brusque with you over leaving the charter. I should have been more grateful. I really am sorry. " Nimmie said looking directly into his eyes.

"It was nothing. Besides, if you hadn't leapt onto that Kalidah's back, I would have been made into a sardine can. I'd like to thank you for… saving mine." Boq said lowering his head and dabbing at the wound thoughtfully. He would have been blushing, if he could have.

"H-how do you feel?" He asked quickly.

"Sore, and more than a little disappointed over losing the charter, to be frank." Nimmie said with a resigned little droop of her shoulders.

"Well, I hope the broth took care of your hunger. Or it didn't make you more sick. I'm a terrible cook." Boq chuckled.

"You always were." Nimmie replied beginning to giggle, "seriously, I did not make myself ill, eating your broth, many thanks, Master Cook."

"If you don't mind me asking, why is the fact that Scise has the charter and we don't such a bad thing? I mean, we could always go back and get another copy." Boq asked.

"The game we're trying to play now is time. Now, Scise has been maneuvering the Animals into forming a separate country perhaps even a physical war. Then what he intends to do (we speculate and formulate a far reaching hypothesis) is while the two of our factions are at it, he'd step in with his troops and take over, or at least unbalance the scales in the Animals favor so they would win. Many Animals don't have proper political training so, who else but Scise would take those nasty duties off the Animal's hands. Either way, him having a copy means it'll take us longer if we had done as you suggested, going back and getting another one. But I have it memorized, so I'll just have one of the Owl scribes write it. In fact, having me say it might boost the faith in the charter, seeing as one of their own would write it themselves. Still, if Scise has enough time, he could formulate an ugly rumor or argument against the copy and make it worthless to us as a bargaining tool. Drat! I hate this kind of work, too much speculation is involved! I need facts!"

"If it makes you feel any better, I just feel lost in a sea of ignorance. I never knew so much went on."

"Neither did I until I went to work for a few people. Anyway, let us be off, we should be coming to the end of the forest today if we make good time. And then we'll have to pass through the cliffs to reach my contact point. I gave him a three-day spectrum for us to arrive in, so we'll be cutting it close, even if we have no more delays, though I highly doubt that Scise will leave us alone now. Comes with the job I guess. Let's go." Nimmie said with a careless shrug.

Nimmie tried to not blush whenever she thought of how he had worried over her. Every now and again, she'd catch him sneaking glance or a puzzled stare. She wondered if she had done the right thing. After all, it wasn't right to keep him this much in the dark about everything, but if she were to tell him everything that had happened, maybe, he would go, like he had before. She wouldn't live if he left again. She winced.

_Whoever knew that doing someone a favor could be so painful? And if I don't tell him anything, he'll leave when he finds out that I knew all a long that Elphaba would be helping him. I wish that…this had never happened. Why did I have to be so…_

She shut her eyes and breathed out.

_No, I don't wish that. I feel so much more alive with him back. He's clumsy, he still stutters, but no matter where his heart went, he's still the kind hearted…if stubborn and gullible Boq, that I knew in Shiz. I wouldn't trade this opportunity to make some final memories with him for a million years alone. _

Nimmie looked down at her feet and hummed a quiet tune. She stepped lightly forward twirled, landed just as delicately, and did a small pirouette. Boq watched her curiously.

"What's that?"

"It's a gypsy dance. I taught you how to do it once. You danced so well for a Munchkin. They often are clumsy and resort to ugly jigs and stiff dances. You had that flowing step. I remember, when we danced, we danced all around the library and down the aisles of books. It was snowing that day. And after we had gotten all worn out from dancing we sat near the fire and did our homework. We had stashed a huge feather quilt in one of the library counters. It was still cold, even in front of the fire, so we sat wrapped in the quilt with our books in our laps."

"Really? I can dance?" Boq said looking down at his feet.

"You used to. I suppose you must have danced well at the Ozdust Ballroom." Nimmie replied.

"The ballroom. So much happened there. I think that is where I went wrong. I lied. I lied terribly. I tugged at someone else's heart while my own heart was far from them. I even said that… she was beautiful. I didn't mean it. I didn't mean any of it. I just wanted… I wanted Glinda." Boq said looking guiltily ahead, his mouth turned down in a thoughtful frown.

"You really love Glinda don't you?" Nimmie asked directly.

"I'm not sure. I don't think I was ever in love before. That is, I don't remember. So, I guess, I wouldn't know whether what I was feeling was love… or, if it was something else."

"Oh. I thought that when you fall in love you'd know." Nimmie said her voice becoming quieter.

"Why? Have you ever been in love?" Boq asked. Nimmie's lungs tingled and her pulse raced as she tried to conceal her obvious embarrassment.

"Once… just once. I thought it was love. I hoped it was love. But, something killed it. Sometimes, I just wonder whether it was all in my imagination," She looked over at him, "or whether, it was just as real and tangible as these trees are."

"You see," She continued, "my parents, they, lived together, but were not really, properly married and I always thought that somehow I had been one of their mistakes. Especially after they died and my uncle told me what they had said about children when they were drunk behind my back. So I guess you could say, I was never really told was love was. Or I didn't believe them."

"I'm sorry." Boq said meekly.

"Why are you sorry?" Nimmie asked a little surprised.

"It sounds like you've had it rough. I hope I never did anything to… make it worse."

"If you did, it's been forgiven, so don't worry about it." Nimmie replied quickly.

As they walked on they came upon a rickety shack at the other end of the forest. Outside was a bench with a marble statue sitting upright and looking slightly taken aback. Nimmie looked the place over.

"It's been a while since I went this route. I don't remember that statue being here. In fact I don't remember anything living here. It just used to be an old shack. I myself have spent the night here. Why is this statue of this man here?"

"I think it's enchanted!" Tinman exclaimed jumping back as the statue made a strained groan.

"It's trying to say something!" Nimmie craned her ear closer to listen.

"Help….please…" It whispered painfully.

"It said help." Boq exclaimed.

"I heard it. How? How can we help?" Nimmie asked.

"The hut… the green box." It said and then fell sharply silent.

"He said something about a green box in the hut." Boq repeated. Nimmie nodded and ran into the hut. She came out a few minutes later carrying a box the about the size of her palm. That had been well worn and had some lettering along the sides.

"What is it?" Boq asked peeking over her shoulder.

"It says: 'Life dust, sprinkle all sorts of inanimate objects to bring them to life. Temporary! Only use on things you want to be alive! Limited Quantities! Courtesy of Mombi Industries Inc.' Mombi…."

"You've heard of Mombi?" Boq asked.

"Only in passing. The name is vaguely familiar I guess it's just one of those as seen on the Ozbox brands." Nimmie said with a shrug.

"Do you think we should try to help him?" Boq asked.

"Why not?" Nimmie asked shocked.

"We don't know whose side he's on. He could only be under a temporary spell to gain our confidence. Then he could do anything. Maybe he's even a spy for Scise." Boq whispered in her ear.

"What if Scise did this to him? We could gain and ally." Nimmie replied.

"This is your expedition. You make the decision." Boq said with a defeated shrug. He wasn't about to argue with Nimmie over something like this. After all he didn't want her to think that he was some sort of heartless fiend.

"Alright. Let's do it." Nimmie said sprinkling the dust over the statue. She took a step back and waited.


	9. Chapter 9

Tik Tock 9

The first thing to start moving was it's mouth, followed by the high pitched scraping of marble against marble as the man-statue got up and stretched.

"I don't know how to thank you enough! I thought I'd sit there forever." It said taking Nimmie's hand attached to her sore arm and shaking it heartily. Nimmie closed her eyes and prayed that he would stop.

"Who are you?" Boq asked trying to divert the statue's attention.

"I? I am just a poor unfortunate of circumstance and fate gone awry." The statue said dramatically.

"I think my friend want a more substantial answer, like a name perhaps." Nimmie replied slightly annoyed.

"A name? Ah yes! A name! Well, my name is Tip. Nothing after it, just plain old three-lettered Tip. Shamefully bland, don't you think?" He asked lamenting over his title.

"Mine's Nick, and I don't find it plain." Boq said taking comfort in his alias.

"Nick? That do has a punch to it. Terribly creative. I like it! I wish I had a name that was creative. Tip sounds so…miserably tasteless." Tip said wringing his hands.

"Glad we could help. I think we should be on our way." Nimmie said motioning to the darkening road with a casual nod.

"You're going? So soon? Oh, dear, that won't do at all! I've spent years sitting here! I do wish you could stay for the night. I'm terribly lonely, and have so much to talk about." Tip said waving his heavy marble arms rapidly back and froth.

"We have to be going, we have to get to a village near here anyway." Nimmie replied quickly.

"Village?" Tip puzzled for a moment, "Oh! That village! It's long gone. Destroyed in a terrible hailstorm. So there is nowhere for you to stay except here! Please stay. Oh please?" Tip pleaded. Nimmie gave a quick glance to Boq who sighed and shrugged casually.

"I guess we can stay. We'll have to go first thing in the morning though." Nimmie said warningly. Tip didn't seem to notice her serious stare.

"Oh most radiant maiden of the sunset! You have made my day! Perhaps even my week! Oh thank you Miss….um, what did the gods call you when they delivered you to earth." Tip asked sweeping up her hand and giving it a stony kiss. Nimmie blushed, and Boq noticed.

"I'm called Nimmie Amee." She said grasping the kissed hand looking slightly touched… or embarrassed. Boq pouted and grunted hoping she'd hear him.

"Nimmie? The Patchwork Girl! Oh! You're my idol! You preformed in the Quadling Caravan! Never have I seen an actress with as much emotion and dance with such grace and softness of step," He grinned broadly and tried top mimic one of her twirls, landing heavily on his marble feet.

"That was a long while ago. Before I had come to this wretched existence," He smiled sheepishly tapping his finger against his chest. "Perhaps you'll remember me, angel of the stage? I threw roses to you one by one as you took your encore bows. I called you the flower of the night. Do you remember?" Tip said, gushing compliments as he stared at her with a look Boq did not savor.

"I've done many shows in the caravan, in many different places. I'm sorry, but I don't recollect exactly. As you said, it was such a long time ago. But, thank you for your kind words." Nimmie said blushing violently, obviously flattered. Now Nimmie was staring back at him. Boq broke the silence and pushed his way into Nimmie's view.

"How about I make you some dinner, Nimmie? You should rest that arm of yours." Boq said, confident that all he needed to do was break Tips concentration to end this foolery. After all, what man ran around calling girls pretty names like, angel of the stage or flower of the night?

"Arm? You're hurt! Oh that will not do at all! I'll take care of that while you make dinner, Nick. Come this way, Miss Amee. I shall clean it and disinfect it. There are some medicines in the shack. I'm sure there are." Tip said offering her his arm.

"Thank you, Tip. That's most kind of you." Nimmie said accepting it. Boq watched them sulkily as they walked into the shack and he begrudgingly started to work on getting a fire started.

For the strangest reason he didn't like Tip. Not because Tip seemed like such a bad person, Boq just had a strange animosity for him. Boq couldn't put his finger on it, but he was irritated with Nimmie too.

_Why? Why do I care whether Tip's compliments mean anything to her or not? Why do I care that she blushes when Tip speaks in that highflying hyperbole? ARGH! I'm getting mad just thinking about it._ Boq though trying to get a spark by rubbing two sticks together. Nimmie laughed loud followed by Tip's rolling chuckle. Boq snapped the twigs into pieces.

It was dark when Tip and Nimmie reappeared. Nimmie's arm was carefully bandaged and had an herbal compress put carefully on it. Boq let his dissatisfaction show by not offering to serve the dinner he'd made to Nimmie. Tip did it instead, and Nimmie accepted.

"You know, this is really good! It reminds me of days I spent in the caravan. Old fashioned cooking and roaring fires under the night sky," Nimmie sat back and heaved a long lingering sigh, "it felt so good to belong to some part of nature. Night always welcomed me."

"You look radiant under the moonlight. Just like you did on stage that night. That performance of Cecilia and the Rose was seared into my memory." Tip said. Nimmie smiled, while Boq withdrew farther and farther from the social jabbering.

"So, tell us your story, Tip. Why are you here of all places?" Nimmie asked curling her legs under her.

"Well, I was a traveling bard. Instrumentless, with only my voice as my tool. I had been quite successful until my mother passed away, and I didn't find out about it until almost a year later. I had been traveling so much that, I barely saw her.

"I felt so guilty about it that I took to the road again, swearing never to remain in a place for more that a year and that I may turn to stone if I stay in one place for too long. So I began on a series of tiny escapades all around Oz. I usually followed caravans like yours or Munchkin Improvisation Acts.

"One day, I came to this little place. An old witch called Mombi lived here. You might have heard of her magical products. They are quiet widely used. Anyway, she resembled my mother so closely that I stayed and stayed and stayed, as an aide and a gopher for her into the village (before it was wiped out of course.) On the eve of a year, I told her that I had to leave and demanded that I remain since she was a lazy hag and she didn't want to be bother running her own errands. I told her that I really couldn't stay. She didn't like that. So she pretended to tell me that she was going to make me dinner.

"Mombi said something about making it a special goodbye dish. She instructed me to sit outside on that same bench you found me on. She laced it with a sleeping draught. I drank it and naturally, fell into a deep sleep.

"I woke up just to see the morning sun fall over my body. Before I knew it, here I am, marble and frozen. I couldn't really speak to Mombi, not that I had any wish to after what she did, but, when she saw that I had turned to stone, she lost interest and went elsewhere, since I was no longer any use to her as a gopher.

"I had remained there ever since. Luckily I remembered that powdered stuff Mombi had made shortly before she left. It was also lucky she was as forgetful as she was, or she might have taken it with her," Tip took Nimmie's hand and held it gently, "and I really wanted to thank you for saving me. I'm in your debt."

"It was nothing." Nimmie said looking bashfully into her lap. Boq cleared his throat loudly.

"Oh my! It's late! All that lack of sleep is catching up with me. I think I'll turn in. Good night Tip. Good night, Nick." Nimmie said rising and walking towards the shack.

"I'll stand watch outside the door to the shack, Nimmie." Boq said nearly jumping to his feet.

"And I!" Tip said clumsily plodding after Boq.

"Thank you both. Good night." Nimmie said sleepily.

Boq and Tip positioned themselves on either side, giving each other slightly heated looks from across the door jam. Tip was the first to comment.

"So how long have you know, Nimmie?"

"We're old friends. We go way back." Boq replied grasping at shards of memories.

"Really? She's a rare one, Nimmie. Take good care of her." Tip said in a slightly condescending tone.

"I do. Anyway, she and I are really close. We know everything about each other. We have that connection, you know." Boq said trying not to be irritated.

"Are you?" It was almost mocking Boq. The Tinman could have melted into a molten mass of rage. Finding it a better policy to keep quiet than to get edgy and rude, Boq said nothing more for the remainder of the night.


	10. Chapter 10

Tik Tock 10

Dawn came too early for Nimmie, all of the excitement of the last few days had taken their toll on her Quadling limbs, not to mention the emotional tug and pull Boq was dragging her through. Not that she didn't want to be dragged, but it wasn't the most pleasant experience. Visions of her Boq, smiling was the balm to the wounds covering her heart. Some day...he would smile at her like that.

She sat up slowly, those thoughts swimming to the groggy surface of wakefulness. Wincing lightly as she stretched her arm she pondered the current predicament and courses of action.

_We have to keep moving forward towards the Oogaboo Mountains. That much is certain. There isn't time to backtrack now. I need to reach my contact stat before anything worse happens to me...or to Boq. The other Kahlidah was probably instructed to scout out and see if I was alone. I'm sure Scise knows who I'm with, and while he holds the charter he's hampering my abilities to produce concrete assurances...which will of course...hamper the Charter even more.._She let her head slide into her lap. How stupid...why didn't she think about hiding it better. Love. That was what had distracted her. Destiny had given her one last gem to fill up all the little empty holes that had crept in after Boq had disappeared from her life. Now was the time for closure, for preparing to let him go again, not to get reattached. He would have to make all his own choices now.

_Own choices..._A prickle of inspiration struck her, _OWN CHOICES! _She leapt to her feet. Scise had just officially helped the Charter complete itself. She grabbed her shoes and slid them on quickly pushing the door to the hut open.

"Good-"

"No! I want to cook breakfast!"

"Absolutely not, you cooked dinner. It is I who wish to satiate Nimmie's morning hunger with my secret egg recipe," Tip shouted back, hopping after Boq who apparently had confiscated the frying pan and was holding it high above his head.

"Morning..." Nimmie blinked a few times, not sure if this was just an extension of sleep or if a tinman and a marble statue were really fighting over cooking breakfast.

"Ah! Nimmie!" Tip turned quickly racing over to her, forgetting all about the frying pan, "How are you this morning?"

"Yea, Nimmie, how's your arm feeling?" Boq shot Tip a venomous glare failing in an attempt to nudge him out of the way.

"I'm, uh, fine. The arm feels great, just a little sore. That herbal poultice you made, Tip, really helped,"

Ha! Tip smirked at Boq. Boq harumphed and folded his arms. Nimmie could feel the tension building up like like two chained LocOzotives pulling in opposite directions at the same time. Quickly she added,

"But I'm really glad you cleaned it as well as you did though, Boq, I wouldn't have made it this far if you hadn't taken such good initial care of it." Now it was Boq's turn to gloat as Nimmie slipped out of range while the two men continued to shoot lightning beams at each other from their eyes.

"Um, Tip?" Nimmie was digging through her pack for something.

"Yes, my dancing angel?" Tip cooed scurrying over to her quickly.

"I was wondering if you knew of a stream, or a lake nearby." She pulled out a brush and crumbly mass of what used to be soap.

"Ah! Of course! I'd be more than happy to show you where! There's a lake and waterfall just through the woods over there! Allow me to escort you for your own safety," Tip was circling around her rubbing his hands together with glee.

"Hold on a second! I'll go with her! After all, how do we know you're not a creepy Peeping Tom? Not to mention, Nimmie would be much more comfortable with ME because we've known each other forever. Right Nimmie?" Boq was too busy arguing to realize that she hadn't replied.

"Peeping Tip, if you must call me a name please utilize the right one! And I know these parts best so that would mean Nimmie would be much more comfortable with me! Right Nimmie?" Tip spun on his heel to face the enraged man of tin.

"Nimmie?" They looked around in confusion, until they caught a glimpse of her receding figure heading off in the direction of the lake alone. In a clamor of thudding and banging they took off after her.

The cool water felt so good against her dusty skin. Nimmie sighed happily circling the perimeters of the lake. The waterfall fell in the background, birds chirped, butterflies fluttered around to the flowers that grew in abundance on the shoreline. A veritable Eden, in the middle of the dark forest. The serenity was a welcome respite from the strange behavior that she watched transpiring between Boq and Tip.

She wasn't sure what it was. It seemed like they didn't like each other much, that was the obvious. Nimmie let her feminine mind race, girlishly thinking that perhaps they were fighting over her. But, after all, Boq did like Glinda. He loved her. It was probably because Boq didn't trust him. Tip was awfully ingratiating for a complete stranger. Still they had saved him. Nimmie felt that she could trust Tip, if only superficially. He seemed to be much more the bumbling victim of his own stupidity than a Scise operative. Still, he did show up pretty suddenly.

Hmmm, she hummed bubbles into the water thoughtfully, scrubbing the road worries away.

"_No one mourns the wicked,"_ an ethereal voice sung from the depths of the lake.

"Who's there?!" Nimmie shouted.

_"The Wickeds' lives are lonely, they cry alone,"_ It continued.

"Reveal yourself!" Nimmie commanded trying to get to shore and to safety.

_"They...die...alone..." _The singing broke off into maniacal laughter. Nimmie was swimming as hard as she could but the current was pulling her under.

_"You should have taken the warning for what it was Quadling. I can't have you disturbing Mother's plans," _The voice shook the pond sending waves up to bash at Nimmie as she struggled to keep her head above the water, _"I would have left that hunk of scrap metal alone, but you involved him, so now he's a mark too. You and he will be the best part of this delicious tragedy I'm cooking up for you. Remember that! For the little time you have left!"_

"Help! Boq! Please! Someone! Help!" Nimmie shouted over the roar of rushing water. A good wave caught her square in the face she felt her stomach swell with the cold water as it came pouring in. She coughed and sputtered wildly flailing at the surface. Her eyes screamed the terror unspoken as her fingertips finally dipped beneath the waves and grasped nothing but water squished through her fingers as her arms desperately fought against the current. The whirlpool at the bottom of the lake kept pulling her down. Her head began to spin as darkness began to seep quickly into her vision, a spongy dotted consciousness quickly ebbing away as the water prepared to claim her to it's depths.

"If you hadn't wasted so much time behaving like a selfish oaf we would have been able to catch up with her," Boq grumbled shooting an elbow in Tip's direction as they slogged through the thick underbrush.

"If you weren't such a stubborn complaining ninny you would have realized that she WANTED to be alone. Women are funny that way. You scared her away with your pushy show of affection," Tip parried the elbow sticking a knee out to dent Boq's thigh. This had been going on for about ten minutes, neither side willing to accept defeat until the other lay on the ground begging for mercy.

"Why do you care anyway? You're just some random statue we met while on OUR trip!" Boq complained sullenly rubbing his thigh.

"I'm a patron of the arts my good fellow, feminine arts. I've seen Nimmie perform. Such a graceful lithe figure! Such beautiful eyes, and that tanned skin! Ah! I'd crumble to rubble if she ever deigned to smile in my direction," Tip exhaled happily.

"You womanizing slob!" Boq growled, shoving him roughly.

"You're an uncouth swine who doesn't even realize the pearl he has!" Tip replied shoving back.

"I don't HAVE her, she's just a friend...a good friend," Boq slowed a moment. Now there's something that didn't fit into his behavior. It felt like he'd slid a shoe on the wrong foot, or maybe tried to wear his trousers on his head.

"Ah, you're that type, you silly boy," Tip chuckled stopping momentarily, "Then why behave so jealously?"

"I'm not jealous," Boq felt something unusual, or usual...or wonderful. Heat. Heat inside of him. Like a blush, or embarrassment, but he FELT it. He looked at his hands, and touched them to his face, it was warm.

Something came to him like a flash. Nimmie younger, more freckles, her hair braided in two smaller braids deeply immersed in a book, in front of a large yawning fireplace. Was he feeling the same way then? Now? Was it just a memory? The heat cooled, the memory fading back to the forest with Tip shaking him mouthing something frantically.

"She's calling for our help you nincompoop! Snap out of it!" Tip bellowed.

"What?" Boq asked dazedly trying to refocus.

"She's in trouble! C'mon you great metal lummox!" Tip took off plodding heavily through the underbrush.

"Nimmie? Trouble? Hey! Wait up!" Boq exclaimed clumsily sprinting off in Tip's direction.

They arrived moments after the bubbles stopped coming up.

"S-she's drowning! Do something!" Tip shouted. Boq looked at his metal frame and then back at Tip.

"Do what!? I'll rust right up like an old can!"

"And I'll sink like a stone!"

"And she'll be gone if we keep fighting like this!" Boq barked waving Tip's concern about sinking away like it was an annoying little bug. He looked at the sloshing waves with a leery sigh. There was nothing for it.

_One, two, three!_ He grabbed his nose and jumped into the lake. As the pockets of water around him fizzed and cleared out of the line of vision, he saw Nimmie a bit deeper, sinking slowly to the bottom. He'd have to get to her before then if he wanted to get back up with her safely. He paddled as hard and as quickly as he could finding that on top of rusting he was fighting the buoyancy of his hollow limbs that wanted to go up, while Nimmie was only drifting further down.

Down he went, concentrating on her and only her, not noticing that with every stroke, it seemed less and less clunky every movement was getting smoother, softer. Something was brushing the back of his head silkily as he swam, he didn't realize. Closer and closer he came as seconds passed in what felt like eons of time.

He reached, caught her up in his arms and flew straight to the surface, bursting forth from the watery trap with a gasp of air. He felt the coolness of the air brush against his wet face and felt the beads of water drip down his back.

"Nimmie! Nimmie wake up!" He hollered as he brought her up onto the shore.

"Move!" Tip nudged Boq out of the way and brought his hands down on Nimmie's stomach. A stream of water spewed out of throat followed by coughing and spluttering as Nimmie flew up into a sitting position, gasping for air.

"Are you alright?" Tip asked her. Nimmie nodded.

"Spell,on the water, dragged me down," Nimmie heaved coughing up more water as she spoke.

"Hey, Tinman? She's ok," Tip called over his shoulder. Boq didn't answer. "Did you hear me? I said Nimmie's ok-" Boq was staring at his hands shaking. They were pale, white, fleshy, they had skin. He touched his face. Eyebrows, eyelashes, warm lips, longish blond hair. Skin, skin everywhere. Muscles and joints and fingernails.

"I...I'm back..." He murmured. He felt for his chest he wanted to feel it pulsing there under his palms. As soon as he did the chilling cold came rushing back, and it all dissipated. Before his eyes everything went back to before, finally his hands became rigid gloves once again. He wanted to cry but even his eyes had rusted from the wetness.

Tip had seen everything but, pretended otherwise, "Oh, look at you, gone and rusted yourself to bits again. You stay here with Nimmie, I'll be back with an oil can and some towels."

Nimmie got to her feet shakily as Tip trotted back into the forest. She walked around to face Boq, and slid her hand into his outstretched palm.

"Boq, you...you saved me again. I'm...I'm sorry. I'm just so sorry that I keep putting you in danger like this. You just wanted to be cured, and here I am, putting you in harm's way. Scise was behind this attack personally. He doesn't want us to go to Oogaboo, but I'm not going to stop now. I'm going to see that you're cured, and that you can go to Glinda and tell her everything. Confess, Boq, confess to her, she needs a good man like you in her life," Ever so gently Nimmie slid forward and hugged him, "Thank you, for saving me again."

She hadn't seen him. Reverting was painful enough, but for some reason her not seeing what had happened hurt more.

"Y-your...w-w-welcome...N-nim-mmee."


	11. Chapter 11

(Author's Note: I know this chapter is very short but I think this fits better than trying to shovel more into it at the moment. I'll be working on the next Tik Tock so expect it soon!)

Tik Tock 11

Boq sat hunched over the campfire poking the embers with a stick. Mulling over the events of a day ago had consumed his thoughts with every turn of the prod as he watched the embers roll bursting into flighty sparks of red before dissipating into the soft blackness of night.

Nimmie had fallen asleep long ago, and he had been keeping an eye on her.

"Hey, Boq, I take it that's your real name? Now that we're being truthful with one another," Tip said pulling up an uninvited log and gently sitting himself down. Reason number one why Boq was watchful. Tip had joined the party, if only to guide them to the cliffs. Somehow Boq knew that Tip would find a way to stick around.

Boq refused to answer, on mere principle if nothing else.

"It's no fun to pester you if you don't fight back," Tip chortled lightly. Boq shook his head and sighed.

"Aw, what's the matter? The angel of dance didn't see the handsome you? The fleshy real person beneath all of that fluff and tin? Doth tin not make fair damsel's heart swoon with passionate delight?" Boq's neck joint squeaked menacingly into place as he glared at his marble persecutor.

"How many times must I tell you! We're friends. There are no hearts involved... especially not mine. It disappeared a long time ago with the rest of me. There's nothing left inside of me to use for anything like that anymore," He rapped his fingers against his chest thoughtfully listening to the dense drum-like rat-ta-tat despondently.

"As long as I live, I enjoy the sight of a pretty female, with curves and crevices enough to please the eye and excite the old memory," Boq rolled his eyes but Tip continued, "I can't smell anymore, or taste, but still I can remember such things as they were and enjoy those thoughts. I have nothing inside of me and yet I still enjoy life for what it is."

"...and what is it really? A punishment? A joke? A lingering heartache? The feelings that stick with me all seem to be the ones I want to forget, or the ones that I've never been able to act upon," Boq prodded a bit harder.

"Life is what you make it, you bucket of slush, you never act, you'll have a life that reflects it," Tip offered his rebuttal. Boq hated to think he was right but something within him was churning uncomfortably, like when you know you're lying and you don't want to, but lie anyway.

Boq looked at his hands, and imagined what he looked like when his hands had really come back, "I didn't even know I was forgetting everything, and now...I have to remember it all. It won't make any sense any other way. What eats away at me is WHY? Why now? Why with her? I just don't understand! It's NEVER happened before...never. The spell must be weakening. That's the only way to explain it."

"Ah, you see things in such flat terms, Tinman. A true artist such as myself always sees the finer aspects of such situations." Boq exhaled his disapproval of the shameless boasting and poked the fire harder still.

"Spells are such interesting things you see. Look at mine for instance! Completely unintentional, and yet, I did it to myself. I wasn't honest with myself you see? I had a lot of time to sit and think about it. My mother and I never got along really. Dear mum, she was...an interesting woman to put it blandly. Liked her whiskey, loved her strange men at night. I became a bard to escape her. When she died...I made that vow not to remember her...but to forget her. I tried to make myself a hero out of a lie. A loving son remembering his mother. I tricked myself into believing it, but never took it seriously. I liked living the life of a vagabond. However, I couldn't forget about her. When I met Mombi, I stayed longer and longer not because she tricked me, but because she reminded me of the one person who had been there with me from the beginning. The one person who I probably never learned to love properly because I was always so quick to think that I was better, or that she never cared about me so I shouldn't have cared about her. But she was the one person I should have loved, more than anyone else. This is my punishment and I heartily accept it," Tip stretched back looking up at the stars. There was something in his words that Boq understood even though he hated to give Tip credit for anything.

_The trouble is...I don't remember. I don't remember what could save me. Is it Nimmie? Or something that I did? _

"Were you untrue to a promise? Did you lie to yourself like I did? Maybe you forgot something, or worse yet, ignored something that you saw. Maybe you lied to more than one person. It's something to think about. I didn't like thinking about it at first...but at least I understand myself and my predicament better," Tip leaned over, "If you can't remember at first,you should work backwards from what you do."


	12. Chapter 12

(A/N: Another short Chapter more apologies but I'm already working on the next one! R&R and pass along to your other Wicked fans! Enjoy!)

Tik Tock 12

_fzzzt fzzzzzzt fizzzzzzzzzzrrt_, "Nimmie? Nimmie are you there? This is E." Nimmie could almost feel the pillow in her room back at the Emerald City Palace.

"Nimmie this is important, quickly, please!" Nimmie slowly remembered that Boq was nearby, and that E meant Elphaba was calling her, and that-

"WHOA!" Nimmie shot up and grabbed her sack and ran off behind a big rock. She dug frantically for the mirror.

"El! Don't DO that! He's right there and if he heard you I would have to explain an awful lot awfully quickly at the worst time imaginable," Nimmie panted.

"Oh you needn't worry about that the hex on the mirror's only allows you to hear me, I think. Well that's what the instructions on the set told me anyway. I'm pretty sure I performed the spell properly so no worries!"

Nimmie exhaled and slowly sunk to her knees, "Thank goodness."

"The reason why I broke silence was because I have information for you. Important information. Scise is preparing an ambush at the cliffs. I had a scout out yesterday and he came back badly injured. They're using Emerald Ozoperatives uniforms. I've been able to keep the camp secure but Scise won't be wandering around in the dark for long. He knows about the Charter, he knows why you're going he just can't figure out where. Be careful," Nimmie nodded.

"I understand."

"Good. I'm looking up the spell Nessa cast all those years ago. It seems that Fiyero's change back was permanent, it seems a little premature to say but I'm going to hazard a well educated guess. How's Boq?"

"Morrible's poison is wearing off. If only more people could have the chance to free themselves from it. He's started remembering...the basics, and maybe more. I have a feeling something happened, something big. He's been...different recently," Nimmie checked around the corner. Boq and Tip were looking in her direction and muttering.

"Nimmie? Are you ok?" Boq called.

"Bathroom! Really bad! Be right there! Start breakfast you two and please don't fight over the frying pan this time!" Nimmie shouted back, and then turned back to Elphie, "Sorry, but yea, he's... different than who I remembered...much different."

"Do you still love him, Nimmie?" Elphaba was never one to dance around the crux of the matter. Nimmie couldn't answer, her eyes were starting to moisten.

"It hurts to see him like this, El. More than you know. If I was just a friend before, I'm nothing now. He doesn't know me, and I want him to so badly." Nimmie wiped a premature tear with the back of her hand and exhaled once before locking her woes away.

"Darling, I can assure you that somewhere within him, no matter how much willing exposure to Morrible's Charismatic Hex, he knows you. You were much too much of a friend for it to be completely erased. He may love Glinda, but once he remembers you, at least he'll know how much you cared for him," Elphaba was trying to help but Nimmie couldn't help but feel as if she were treading water in a sea of dark uncertainty.

"Look, Nimmie, do what you can. But if he doesn't break free on his own, he won't break free and just relapse. Boq always struck me as a smart sweet guy. He'll get it together, with your help, just like before," Boq was calling to Nimmie again.

"I gotta go, E. Thank you."

"Hang in there, and watch out for Scise ok?"

"Will do, bye!"

Nimmie stuffed the mirror back into her bag and flew out from behind the rock smiling broadly, "So, Boq, what's for breakfast?"

"Broth again, sorry, but it's what we've got," Boq said sheepishly cradling a chipped brown bowl of steaming liquid.

"Ahem! I found the parsley to put in the broth!" Tip volunteered hopping around the two of them.

Nimmie's fingers brushed over the tops of Boq's hands as she took the bowl. He stiffened and looked at her. She smiled at him, "Thanks for breakfast." Funny, how the heat came back when she smiled.

"Uh...my pleasure," Boq replied. The heat was staying this time. He could feel it flowing inside of him. Nimmie winked her raspberry colored eye at him and sipped the broth.

"Mmm, delicious!" She hummed again clearly enjoying the moment.

.

"It's just hot water with flavoring, why do you fake liking it?" He asked suddenly.

"Boq, I really do like it, it only looks like hot water, there's much more to it than that. There's warmth, water, light flavor, herbs, thoughtfulness, kindness and friendship. That's the best kind of broth there is. Broth between friends on a sunny morning like this morning on the verge of a golden plain with limitless clouds in the sky," Nimmie took another dip sip and handed the steaming bowl to him, "Here, try it yourself."

"Oh no, it's okay, I can't taste it, and I'll leak, which is embarassing,"Boq said as his mind slowly wandered to an isolated little scene in front of a fireplace.

_"What is that?" She asked peering into his bowl._

_"It's Barley Broth," He replied protectively moving his bowl away._

_"Ah, broth is the blood of good friends. It's a Quadling saying. Did you make it?" _

_"Yes actually I did. It's my favorite, simple and tasty," Boq looked proudly at his creation and then at a smaller cup nearby. He poured a bit into the cup and handed it to her. _

_"I like Quadling sayings, they go well with soup," He smiled once and Nimmie chuckled._

_"Just like it goes well with friends," Nimmie countered picking up the cup as if to propose a toast, _"_To-"_

"Friends?" Nimmie said suddenly. They weren't in Shiz anymore, but Boq knew what had been said, and what he would say. Taking the bowl, he sipped it. Surprisingly, it tasted of barley to him, maybe it was his imagination, perhaps something in the heavens was watching them and had smiled for a moment as the darkness began to crumble.

"To the blood of good friends," Boq replied and smiled genuinely for the first time in a while. Nimmie returned his smile three times wider. There was no need to speak of remembering aloud, she could see in his eyes a fireplace in a library a long time ago, with two young friends on a cold winter's night filled with memories and barley broth.


	13. Chapter 13

(A/N: Helloooo! Me again, this is your conscience speaking (jk), anyways I've decided that after much thought I would be bumping up the rating of this story, if only for the following chapter's opening moments. Nothing overtly explicit mind you, but if you're easily ahem very easily, put off by that sort of thing you may be offended, and I apologize. Anyways if you're still reading, enjoy!)

Tik Tock 13

"I spy with my little eye something that's round...and raspberry colored," Tip said for the eenth time. Walking across Winkie Plains was no fun...ever.

"My eye..." Nimmie droned boredly as they walked. They'd been staring at shoulder high gold colored grass and blue colored sky for two days now. The scene was unimaginative

"Right-o! You're good at this game!" Tip replied staring at something a little lower than her face. Boq kicked him in the shin but Tip just laughed innocently.

"Your turn, Boq! What do you spy?"

"Tip, I don't want to play your stupid game!" Boq replied for the hundredth time, "and I don't think Nimmie wants to either."

Tip put Boq in a friendly headlock and attempted to steal his tin hat. Boq squeaked and flailed grumpily trying to push him off, "Aw...don't be a rusty bucket full of bolts. Play! Just once?"

"No!"

"Please?"

"What part of 'No!' Didn't you understand?"

"I'm sorry. I don't speak Stick-in-the-Mud, could you translate?"

"Why are you still here!? The cliffs are right there! You had to be blind and stupid to not be able to see where they are! We don't need a guide to the cliffs!" Boq complained.

"But the dear angel of dance, she must have the proper escort. Two strapping lads sworn to defend her at the cost of life and limb! Ah it makes me want to sing a bustling travel song!" He opened his mouth and sent out a squeaky off-key _Laaaaa!_

"I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE," Boq shouted and Tip smiled happily. Mission accomplished. Realizing that now he had to find something to spy that didn't entail oogling various areas of Nimmie's anatomy, Boq quickly craned his neck into the sky in an effort to maintain a PG version of I-spy.

"I spy with my little eye," was that something in the sky? A black dot directly above? "something black in the sky...coming our way...fast...very fast! VERY FAST!" Both Tip and Nimmie looked up.

"Oh, dear, that's unfortunate," Tip murmured.

"What's unfortunate?" Nimmie asked.

"Well that blur you see coming at us," Tip began, " looks like a Shade."

"Crud," Nimmie croaked.

"Shade?" Boq looked quizzically over at Nimmie and then Tip.

"Shades, renegade energies from spells gone wrong. They take on a life of their own and collect together with other Shades. That's the Arrowhead Shade," Nimmie said beginning to pick up the pace.

"Arrowhead?"

"The Scout, meaning...we're probably already surrounded," Tip said breaking into a run.

"What's so bad about them?" Boq had to shout, the hum and hiss of Shades rising up from the dirt and seemingly manifesting from clouds all began to give chase.

"They're angry," Nimmie replied running as fast as she could.

"And like to tear things to pieces," Tip shouted from up ahead. Boq took off running as fast as he could. It was much harder for him to move quickly. The joints were dry from the sun and squeaked horribly as he took off.

"Run Boq!" Nimmie called to him.

"I'm trying! I'm trying!" Boq shrieked back. He glanced back and saw a huge cloud of blackness screeching and hissing angrily. It was one of his worse decisions. A hidden root caught under his foot and brought him toppling down. Nimmie turned in time to see him fall and whispered a quick spell. Her tambourine appeared in her hand and she began to beat it wildly singing in some sort of gypsy dialect.

The Shades descended on him growling and howling. He felt them grab each of his limbs and begin to pull.

"_Look at me! Look at me!" _Nimmie sung, "_The one you really want is me, watch me dance, watch me sing, only me! I am all you see! Dose the ire! Calm the froth! I'm here to sing this song! LA la IIII!" _ Boq felt his joints straining as he struggled to free at least one arm, but there were too many and they were too powerful.

"Nimmie! You'll be shredded like sandpaper!" Tip shouted from a safer distance.

"Nimmie! I'll be ok! Let them do their worst! I'll be fine! Just...go! Leave me here!" Boq shouted. She ignored them both, twirling in a circle, beating the tambourine.

The Shades kept pulling faster and faster until it finally happened. Boq felt all of his limbs pop off all at the same time. Something was happening again.The Shades were letting go of him. He heard the clunk, chink, fwump of his arms and torso as they hit the ground.

Nimmie's face appeared above his own for a moment. There was a small cut on her cheek but she seemed alright.

"Why didn't you listen to me and just go?" Boq sighed.

"I can't answer you right now, you must listen to me. In case something happens to me, you need to go to the village and tell the leaders to write their own Charter. Give them full liberty to write whatever demands they wish. We don't need the paper one, understand Boq? You must understand! What's happening?!" Nimmie shouted. Boq was feeling dizzy, darkness was stealing across his eyes.

"In case I don't ever get another chance," A warm softness pressed against his forehead momentarily, "Be okay! Please?!" Boq couldn't see anymore. The world was spinning. A scream echoed in his head as the last light went out.

_There was laughing, and music. He was standing watching himself, younger, pre-spell, at that night in the Oz Dust Ballroom. There he was pushing the wheelchair. In the background the someone kept saying, "Back to what you do remember. What you do remember." The room was aglow with twinkling lights and the sparkle of dressed and jewelery. It was awkward. Nessa hadn't stopped talking once. She was saying all these things but he wasn't really paying attention. Glinda had to around somewhere. His head felt heavy, his arms itched a bit in his new shirt. There was a potent scent in the air, familiar and yet, foreign in a strange way, a pungent odor that burned at the nostrils and tickled the throat. He was growing to like it. _

_There she was. She looked beautiful. Such a beautiful dress on such a lovely girl. Fiyero was there too, even that green girl, Elphaba. Glinda was laughing, smiling, the center of affections and attentions. She was just so classy and so perfect. She was fading away. Boq felt himself turning in circles as if time had sped up Nessa was talking too fast now, the room was swaying. Until he caught sight of the girl in twin braids. _

_She was staring at him from the doorway to the ballroom, clutching a newly painted tambourine. A forlorn look of desperate sadness etched on her face. Even now he was forgetting her name. Glinda was so close now, this girl, who was watching him, she, she wasn't Glinda, so she wasn't important, and that meant that to find out what was wrong could wait, until after he spoke to Glinda._

_They were in the gardens outside now. He'd stolen away from Nessa to catch a break and a breath of clear crisp night air. Glinda had disappeared into the crowd and for the time being telling her everything would have to wait._

_"I see that you decided to go to the Ballroom instead," That girl again, sitting on a white garden bench, still holding that tambourine. _

_"Instead of what?" He had no idea. _

_"Nothing," her hands tightened around the tambourine, "Did you speak with Glinda?"_

_"Uh, no, I, um, didn't get a chance to get to her. But she was really busy, there are a lot of people that want to talk to her. Just none that would care about her the way I do," He replied with a semi-defeated sigh. _

_"How's the party?" She was so still she could have been a statue. _

_"It's okay. I'm with Nessa Rose, um, the green girl's sister," The girl nodded she knew who it was. _

_"Do you like Nessa too?" _

_"Not at all really. I'm just doing Glinda a favor. She said I was her hero," He felt his chest swell with pride. _

_"What kind of a favor is that? Going out with another girl just because Glinda asked you to?" _

_"Well it's not like anyone else would have asked her," Something in his stomach was making him feel ill. _

_" So you're lying to her. Is that such a heroic thing?"_

_"What do you care?" Boq bristled. _

_"We're friends Boq. You know, broth and late night chats on the wall." Something wasn't fitting in his mind. _

_"Are we?" Boq meant it as a real question. His mind was swimming with that strange smell. _

_"Well, I still am your friend. But, you...may not be mine anymore..." The girl's voice seemed strained._

_"Boq? Are you out here?" Nessa was calling for him. He turned to go. _

_"Why don't you come into the party?" He offered. She shook her head vehemently. _

_"No, no, I...I can't go in there. Maybe next time?" She forced a smile. _

_"Boq! They're serving dessert soon!" Nessa called, rolling herself out onto the patio._

_"I was just on my way in," He said quickly grabbing hold of the chair and pushing her back towards the door. Nessa caught sight of the girl._

_"Who were you talking to?" She asked casually. _

_"Oh, um, I don't know, just some girl," Boq murmured, looking back momentarily. The girl was staring at him with those strange eyes, almost in disbelief. He watched himself head back in. _

_Wait no...I do know her...Nimmie...He tried to run back towards her but his memory ended there, at the beginning._

"Nimmie!" He shouted opening his eyes. It was night on the plains. He felt himself moving but he wasn't walking, and if he was...he was walking backwards.

"Hold still please you'll loosen the bindings," Tip said grumpily.

"Tip?" Boq couldn't see him but something was up against his back.

"No, you hunk of scrap metal, the Wicked Witch of the West," Good old Tip.

"Where am I?" Boq asked trying to turn around and look but finding it oddly difficult. And then he saw the stumps of where his arms and legs had been and remembered.

"WHERE'S THE REST OF ME?!" He bellowed throwing his head back and forth.

"Strapped to my back with this noisy torso screaming in my EAR!" Tip seemed a bit on edge today, nothing cheery anymore.

"Nimmie?" Boq called, she didn't answer, "Where's Nimmie?"

"Gone..." Tip murmured.

"Gone? What do you mean gone?"

"I mean gone. Gone in the sense that the Shades came at her, she ran, they caught her and then monkeys out of the sky came and carried her unconscious body away...and I didn't do anything...at all..."

"Flying Monkeys?! You're kidding," Flying Monkeys were reminiscent of an old wound reopened to the air with salt slowly being massaged into it. Boq shivered remembering.

"I wish I was. One of them, Chistery, I think he said his name was, gave me this rope and told me that they would show us an alternate route to our destination, so long as we, meaning I, walked all night and all tomorrow to get to the cliffs by tomorrow night," Tip grumbled.

"What happened to me after my limbs got pulled off?" It felt weird saying that, and even weirder experiencing it, but now was not the time to be squeamish.

"You fainted. Which, I for one, do not understand. You don't sleep but you faint?" Tip shook his head and sighed.

"That's never happened to me before," Boq replied sheepishly.

"Fainting? Really? Human again? You are one strange tin can. Popping on and off human tendencies like a bloody Ozalamp. When are you going to make up your mind and just commit?"

"I think I'm finally starting to understand how the spell works," Boq mused aloud, "it has to do with Nimmie, and...something that happened a long time ago. Maybe even other things that I haven't remembered. It's clearer now."

"Care to share? I'd appreciate hearing how badly you messed up, it may make me feel better about having to question my masculinity by having to tie your backside to my bum." There was an awkward silence.

"I think I'll pass on the explanation, and don't ever say that again."


End file.
